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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

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http://www.archive.org/details/fredfreelandorchOOIoveiala 


THE  ARREST  OF  FRED  FREELAND. 


lilliiifii'SK^.WMfiPRN^sAN 


3  1822  02257  7852 

FRED  FREELAND; 


THE  CHAIN  OF  CIRCUMSTANCES. 


$  Siaq  for  Jgop  an)  $irls. 


BY  WILLIS  LOVEYOUTII. 


BOSTON: 
E.    O.    LIBBY    AND    COMPANY. 

NEW  YOEK:    CHARLES  SCRIBNER. 

1859. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1858,  by 

ISAAC   n.  ANDERSON, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


ELECTBOTYPED     AT    THE 
BOSTON'     STEREOTYPE     FOUNDRY. 


PBIXTEU  BY 
CEOEGE    C.     BAND    b    AVEBY. 


THE   WIDE  WORLD   OF   YOUNG  HEARTS 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED 

BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


PREFACE. 


Notwithstanding  the  writer  of  this  little  book 

is  well  aware  that  it  will  hardly  abide  the  test 

of  criticism,  yet  he  trusts  it  may  be  found  to 

contain  enough  of  interest  and  instruction  to 

repay  for  a  careful  reading.     The  attention  of 

young  brothers  and  sisters  is  more  particularly 

solicited,  with  the  hope  that  this  little  "chain" 

may  serve  only  to  bind  them  more  firmly  and 

safely  together  in  that  sacred  affection  by  which 

they  should  ever  be  united,  and  to  direct  their 

youthful  thoughts  to  a  wider  sphere  of  sympathy 

and  good  feeling,  extending  ultimately  to  works 

of  universal  love  and  charity. 

1*  (5) 


6  PREFACE. 

Should  aught  in  the  following  pages  tend  to 
strengthen  in  the  mind  of  wavering  youth  a 
desire  to  be  kind,  firm,  and  true;  interest  and 
beguile  for  an  hour,  however  slightly,  the  parent 
surrounded  by  a  multitude  of  cares,  anxieties, 
and  fears,  or  prove  a  momentary  solace,  even, 
to  departing  age,  the  writer  would  consider 
the  reward  sufficient  for  the  little  labor  herein 
bestowed. 

Roxburt,  1858. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.— Almost  a  Fight 9 

II. — The  Stranger 18 

HI.— The  Frightened  Girls 24 

IV. — Fred's  Surprise.      . 31 

V. — Retrospect 41 

VI. — Fred  and  Jenny 62 

VII.— Bill  Brown 61 

VIII.  —  "Mad  Dog." 65 

IX. — The  Rescue 71 

X. — Bill  Brown's  Presents 81 

XL— The  Arrest 88 

XII.— The  Examination 98 

XIII. — A  New  Difficulty 105 

XIV.— A  Scene  at  Home Ill 

XV.— A  Storm  at  Sea 122 

XVI.— An  Appalling  Scene.  — "Man  Overboard!"  131 

XVII.— The  Collision 141 

XVIII. — Accident  to  Jenny 150 

1   (7) 


8  CONTENTS. 

XIX.  —  Joy.— Brief  History  of  Foolish  John.  .    .  161 

XX. — Visit  to  Fred.  —  Bad  News 170 

XXI.  — Foolish  John's  Illness 179 

XXII.— The  Twofold  Restoration 190 

XXIII.  — Commencement  of  Fred's  Trial 198 

XXIV.  —  Opening  of  the  Defence 212 

XXV. — Additional  Witnesses  expected 224 

XXVI. — The  Verdict.     . 231 

XXVII.— Confession.  —  The  Happy  Meeting.     .    .    .  244 
XXVIII. — The  Surprise  Party.  —  Bill  Brown's  Nar- 
rative   253 

XXIX.— New  Light.— Plans  divulged 264 

XXX. — The    Right   Feeling.  —  Major    Kimball's 

Advice .  272 

XXXI.— Conclusion ' 280 


FRED   FREELAND; 

OR, 

THE   CHAIN   OF    CIRCUMSTANCES. 


CHAPTER   I. 

ALMOST  A  FIGHT. 

"There  goes  'Fighting  Bill!'"  shouted  Charles 
Hayward  to  his  companions,  one  Saturday  afternoon, 
as  a  dozen  or  more  of  the  village  boys  were  assembled 
on  Rockmount  Green.  "Now  let's  give  it  to  him  — 
now  let's  pay  up  old  debts." 

"  Yes,  yes,  that  we  will,"  responded  some  half  score 
of  young  would-be  belligerents. 

"  Will  you,  though  ?  "  cried  the  boy  alluded  to,  whose 
name  was  William  Brown,  as  he  changed  the  direction 
of  his  steps  and  made  his  way  at  once  towards  the 
group  of  youngsters,  who,  with  the  evident  intention 

(9) 


10  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

of  making  an  assault  upon  him,  had  suspended  their 
game  at  ball. 

"  Yes,  we'll  just  do  that  thing,"  replied  Charles 
Hayward,  who  seemed  to  be  the  leader  among  hi3 
fellows  on  this  occasion.  "  "We  have  been  waiting 
some  time  for  a  chance  like  this,  and,  depend*  upon 
it,  we  won't  let  it  pass  without  improving  it.  We  are 
the  stronger  party  this  time,  my  boy ;  so  you  may  look 
out  for  a  sound  drubbing." 

Now,  any  prudent  boy,  under  these  circumstances, 
would  have  taken  himself  off  as  fast  as  his  legs  could 
carry  him.  Bill  Brown,  however,  —  whose  quarrelsome 
propensities  had  earned  for  him  the  veiy  appropriate 
nickname  of  " Fighting  Bill"  —  was  not  in  the  least 
degree  daunted  by  these  threats ;  so  he  walked  straight 
up  towards  the  hostile  party  with  a  courageous  bearing 
worthy  a  better  heart  and  a  better  cause.  As  he  drew 
near  the  group  of  boys,  one  of  them  hastily  left  his 
companions  and  advanced  towards  him,  exclaiming,  as 
he  did  so, — 

"  Keep  back,  boys,  keep  back !  I'll  meet  Bill  Brown 
alone." 

"  No,  no ! "  they  all  shouted ;  <;  he'll  pound  you  half 
to  death,  Fred  Freeland,  in  two  minutes !  " 

Fred  was  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  of  a  slender 
frame,  light-brown  hair,  blue   eyes,  florid  complexion, 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  11 

and  bore  a  countenance  that  indicated  firmness  without 
combativeness ;  whereas  the  boy  he  had  advanced  to 
meet  was  apparently  a  year  his  senior  —  stout,  dark, 
and  brutal  in  appearance. 

It  was  evident,  at  a  mere  glance,  that  a  struggle 
between  the  two  boys  could  have  been  of  a  moment's 
duration  only ;  but  Fred  Freeland  had  not  the  slightest 
intention  of  matching  himself  at  fisticuffs  with  Fighting 
Bill :  he  relied  on  a  power  far  superior,  in  most  cases, 
to  physical  force ;  he  trusted  to  a  brotherly  feeling  — 
to  kind  and  gentle  words.  Before  any  of  his  comrades* 
could  divine  his  motives,  Fred  extended  the  friendly 
hand,  at  the  same  time  saying,  with  a  troubled  air, 
and  in  a  hurried  manner, — 

"  Bill,  I  want  to  befriend  you ;  but  you  know  you 
are  always  knocking  the  boys  about,  and  now  that  a 
crowd  of  them  are  together  they  are  determined  to 
pay  you  off.  But  for  your  own  sake,  for  mine,  and 
for  the  credit  of  the  village,  I  hope  you  won't  say 
any  thing  more  to  provoke  a  quarrel ;  and  I'll  do  all 
I  can  to  stop  this  row  where  it  is." 

Bill's  better  nature,  judging  from  appearances,  was 
about  to  prevail  over  his  quarrelsome  inclinations  in 
this  instance ;  but  the  next  moment,  and  before  he 
could  make  any  answer  to  his  young  friend's  good 
advice,  the  whole  crowd  of  boys  came  rushing  down 


12  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

upon  him  pellmell.  Some  of  the  foremost  of  them 
were  about  to  commence  the  attack,  when  Fred  sprang 
into  their  midst,  exclaiming, — 

"  Hold  on,  boys !  I've  a  word  to  say  before  any 
fighting  is  done." 

But  the  war  spirit  was  up,  and  both  parties  were 
ready  for  the  conflict.  They  seemed  determined  — 
like  many  boys  of  a  larger  growth,  and  nations  even 
—  to  fight  first,  and  give  ear  to  reason  and  justice 
afterwards.  t 

•  "  Stand  out  of  the  way,  Fred,  or  you'll  get  hurt," 
cried  Charles  Hayward,  aiming  a  blow  at  Bill  Brown's 
face  at  the  same  instant. 

But  Bill  was  prepared  for  the  attack,  and  parried 
the  blow  with  his  left  hand,  at  the  same  time  dealing 
back  one  with  his  right  fist  that  would  have  sent  his 
assailant  headlong  to  the  ground  had  not  his  arm  been 
dexterously  seized  by  Fred  at  the  very  moment  the 
blow  was  given.  Charles  was,  undoubtedly,  thus  saved 
from  a  disfigured  countenance,  for  the  force  of  the  blow 
was  such  as  to  carry  Fred  forward,  nearly  clear  of 
the  ground,  and  bring  him  directly  between  the  two 
combatants. 

"  Charley  Hayward,"  exclaimed  Fred,  imploringly, 
"  won't  you  listen  one  moment  to  what  I  have  to  say  ?  " 

"I  tell  you  to  get  out  of  the  way,  Fred,  for  Bill 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  13 

Brown  will  have  to  take  a  flogging  this  time,  or  my 
name  isn't  Charley  Hayward." 

"  Bill  Brown  won't  get  a  flogging  this  time,  or  my 
name  isn't  Fred  Freeland."     • 

"  I  should  like  to  know  what  this  means,  Fred.  If 
you  are  going  to  take  sides  with  such  a  fellow  as  that," 
said  Charles,  as  he  cast  a  threatening  glance  at  Bill, 
"why,  just  say  so  at  once,  and  then  we  shall  know 
how  to  take  you." 

"  I  shall  do  all  I  can  to  prevent  a  fight,"  said  Fred, 
firmly ;  "  and  I  hope  you'll  all  '  take '  me  as  a  friend." 

"I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,  Fred,"  broke  in  Edward 
Flye," "  you're  only  getting  yourself  into  hot  water  by 
taking  up  for  Fighting  Bill ;  so  you  had  better  step 
out  of  the  way  as  soon  as  possible,  for  none  of  us  would 
like  to  hurt  you." 

"  I  know  you  would  not,"  replied  Fred ;  "  neither  do 
I  want  you  to  hurt  any  one  else— -  and  I  hope  you 
won't." 

"  O,  yes ;  that  will  do  very  well  for  you  to  say,  Fred, 
who  have  never  felt  the  weight  of  Bill  Brown's  fist ; 
but  if  you  had  been  hammered  near  about  to  a  jelly 
by  him  some  half-dozen  times,  as  many  of  us  have 
been,  you  would  sing  a  different  tunc,  I  guess." 

Thus  sputtered  forth  John  Steele — a  thickset,  curly- 
haired,  brown-fiucd  slump  of  a  little  fellow  in  whose 
2 


14  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

name  and  nature  there  appeared  to  be  a  resemblance 
somewhat  striking.  He  was  what  the  boys  called  "  a 
hard  case."  He  was  always  ready  for  a  brush,  and 
consequently  had  a  far  greater  practical  knowledge  of 
Fighting  Bill's  prowess  than  any  one  of  the  party. 

"  No,  John,"  replied  Fred,  "  I  have  never  felt  the 
weight  of  Bill  Brown's  fist,  nor  that  of  any  other  boy ; 
and  I  am  not  afi'aid  of  it  now,  though  I  am  going  to 
tell  you  all  just  what  I  think  of  this  foolish  scrape. 
I  think  the  whole  fault  is  on  our  side  ;  for  Bill  was 
passing  quietly  along  at  some  distance  from  us,  and 
there  would  have  been  no  trouble  if  we  had  kept  at 
our  play  and  said  nothing  to  him.     Is  it  not  so,  boys  ?  " 

"  Well,  Fred,"  snapped  out  Charles  Hay  ward,  "  you 
have  made  quite  a  speech,  and  I  don't  know  but  it's 
a  good  one  for  those  who  are  willing  to  be  beat  and 
banged  about  by  Bill  Brown.  But,  for  my  part,  I 
don't  relish  such  things ;  and  a  number  of  us  made  up 
our  minds  some  time  ago  to  give  Bill  a  flogging  the 
first  time  we  felt  strong  enough.  So  you  may  just  as 
well  stop  your  argument  first  as  last,  Fred,  and  stand 
aside,  for  we  won't  be  ruled  by  your  milk-and-water 
disposition  this  time,  by  two  chalks." 

"  Freeland,"  said  Bill,  who  had  thus  far  maintained 
a  dogged  silence,  "  I  don't  care  much  about  bein'  any 
thing  else  than  what  I  always  have  been,  — '  Fightin' 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  15 

Bill,'  —  and  these  fellers  wouldn't  let  me  be  any  thing 
else  if  I  should  try ;  and  as  you're  only  makin'  'em 
mad  with  you,  and  ain't  doin'  me  no  good,  you'd  best 
stop  right  where  you  be  ;  and  if  these  fellers  are  mean 
enough  to  turn  to  all  at  once  and  lick  me,  why,  I  s'pose 
they  can,  that's  all.  They  won't  quite  kill  me,  I  guess  ; 
and  I'll  lick  the  whole  lot  on  'em  within  an  inch  of 
their  lives  before  a  week,  as  I  catch  'em  alone." 

"  Yes ;  that's  the  way  you've  always  done,"  replied 
Charles  Hay  ward,  "and  we  now  mean  to  see  if  we 
can't  sicken  you  of  it,  my  fine  fellow.  And  if  Fred, 
here,  is  too  big  a  coward  to  lend  a  hand,  I  guess  there's 
enough  of  us  without  him." 

A  sudden  flush  of  indignation  passed  over  the  fine 
features  of  Fred  as  he  listened  to  this  unjust  slur  from 
the  lips  of  his  companion ;  but  he  restrained  his  temper, 
and  said,  calmly,  though  firmly,  — 

"  Charley  Hay  ward,  I  repeat  what  I  said  before,  that 
you  are  altogether  to  blame  in  this  matter ;  and  though 
I  know  nothing  about  fighting,  yet  I  tell  you  now,  once 
for  all,  if  you  flog  Bill  Brown  to-day,  you  must  flog  me 
with  him." 

As  Fred  ceased  speaking  he  stepped  quickly  back, 
and  placed  himself  close  by  the  side  of  Bill.  This  was 
done  with  such  an  air  of  determination,  but  at  the  same 
time  with  so  little  appearance  of  threat  or  bravado,  that 


16  FRED    FEEELAND,    OE 

the  boys  were  all  completely  awed,  and  some  moments 
elapsed  before  any  one  opened  his  lips.  Presently,  a 
fine-looking  youth,  who  had  taken  no  active  part  in  the 
affray,  stepped  briskly  out  from  the  group,  and  said,  in 
a  pleasant  tone  of  voice,  — 

"Fred  is  right,  Fred  is  right  in  this  matter.  What  I 
a  dozen  or  more  of  us  pounce  on  one  fellow  because 
he  has  handled  some  of  us  pretty  roughly  at  times  ? 
Besides,  as  Fred  has  said,  Bill  was  going  along  very 
peaceably  when  the  scrape  was  commenced  by  our  own 
party.  I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,  boys,  it  will  be  better 
for  the  credit  of  us  all  to  let  the  matter  drop  right 
where  it  is.  "We  shall  all  say  by  to-morrow  that  Fred 
was  in  the  right:  in  fact,  when  was  ever  Fred  Freeland 
wrong  ?  " 

With  this  high  compliment  to  the  character  of  our 
young  hero,  the  last  speaker,  whose  name  was  Roland 
Parks,  jumped  merrily  to  the  other  side  of  Fighting 
Bill,  exclaiming,  as  he  did  so,  with  the  greatest  good 
nature,  — 

"  Here  are  three  Bill  Browns  now ;  who'll  be  the 
fourth?" 

"  I  will,"  responded  George  Stickney,  as  he  readily 
placed  himself  by  the  side  of  "  Laughing  Hoi."  This 
appellation  had  been  given  to  young  Parks  on  account 
of  his  merry  disposition. 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  17 

"  And  I  the  fifth,"  said  Charles  Small,  as  he  at  once 
joined  the  Brown  party. 

"And  I'll  be  another "  — " And  I,"  "And  I,"  was 
repeated,  in  rapid  succession,  as  one  after  another  of 
the  boys,  with  increasing  good  humor,  joined  the  now 
popular  side,  until  the  only  one  left  of  the  original 
assaulting  party  was  little  John  Steele ;  and,  as  he 
rather  reluctantly  followed  his  comrades,  he  sputtered 
out, — 

"  Well,  it  seems  that  I'm  the  last  —  and  I  meant  to 
be ;  and  though  I  can't  do  much  alone,  at  present,  yet, 
if  ever  I'm  big  enough,  I'll  flog  Bill  Brown  one  of  these 
days,  all  on  my  own  hook." 

At  this  belligerent  speech  of  "Little  Stubby,"* the 
nickname  by  which  John  was  known  among  the  boys, 
they  all  broke  forth  into  a  merry  shout,  in  which  even 
sulky  Bill  Brown  himself  could  hardly  refrain  from 
joining. 

The  kindness,  good  sense,  and  firmness  manifested 
by  Fred  Freeland  on  this  occasion  had  wrought  a  most 
wonderful  change  in  the  feelings  of  his  companions,  and 
they  were  about  to  renew  their  game  at  ball,  —  in 
which,  even,  they  had  invited  Bill  Brown  to  participate, 
—  when  they  met  with  an  interruption  of  a  different 
character  from  that  already  related. 

2*  B 


18  FRED    FRE ELAND,    OR 


CHAPTER   II. 


THE    STRANGER. 


"  Bravo  !  bravo,  my  lads !  You  got  out  of  that  bad 
scrape  with  whole  skins  —  didn't  expect  it  at  first  — 
good  generalship  there  —  strange,  though,  that  boys 
think  they  must  fight  —  it's  all  imagination  —  half  the 
troubles  of  mankind  are  in  the  imagination." 

As  this  rather  comical  speech  reached  the  ears  of  the 
boys,  they  became  aware,  for  the  first  time,  that  there 
had  been  outside  witnesses  to  the  scene  they  had  been 
enacting.  The  speaker,  who  neared  them  at  a  rapid 
pace,  was  a  man  evidently  about  eighty  years  of  age. 
His  hair  was  thoroughly  whitened  by  time,  and  his  face 
plainly  showed  some  of  the  marks  of  fourscore  years ; 
but  still  his  form  was  perfectly  erect,  and  his  step  as 
firm  and  elastic  as  that  of  a  man  of  forty.  He  was 
evidently  a  stranger  in  the  village.  A  travelling  coat 
hung  over  one  arm,  and  he  carried  a  small  valise  in  his 
hand.  He  was  closely  followed  by  some  half-dozen 
citizens.     As  he  came   up   to  the  boys,  the  eyes  of 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  19 

whom  were  all  fixed  upon  him,  lie  at  once  addressed 
himself  to  Fred  by  asking, — 

"What's  your  name,  my  fine  little  fellow?" 

u  Fred  Freeland,  sir,"  replied  our  young  hero,  a  little 
abashed. 

"  Is   it  Fred,  or  Frederic  ? "  inquired  the  stranger. 

"Nothing  but  Fred,  sir." 

"Good!"  ejaculated  the  old  gentleman.  "Like  short 
names  —  these  long  names  are  all  imagination.  '  Fred 
Freeland  —  Freeland,' "  he  repeated.  "  Grand  name, 
that  —  shall  always  have  a  free  land  with  boys  like 
you  growing  up.  I  have  seen  and  heard  the  whole 
affair,"  continued  he,  addressing  himself  to  the  villagers 
who  had  arrived  upon  the  ground. 

"  Have  you,  sir  ?  "  inquired  one  of  the  men.  "  Well, 
what  is  the  case  ?  " 

"  The  case  is,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "  that  nearly 
all  these  boys  were  at  the  point  of  pouncing  upon  this 
one  they  call  Bill  Brown  —  don't  know  what  for  —  but 
Fred,  here,  *  conquered  a  peace '  without  striking  a 
blow.  He's  brave  as  a  lion,  gentle  as  a  lamb,  and 
firm  as  Gibraltar ;  but  wouldn't  fight,  nor  let  others  do 
so.  He's  brave  indeed  that  goes  through  this  world 
without  fighting  —  own  up,  though  an  old  soldier  — 
was  in  the  war  of  1812  —  'fought,  bled,  and'  didn't 
die  '  for  my  country.'    This  war  business  is  all  bad  — 


20  FKED   FREELAXD,    OR 

never  any  real  cause  for  it  —  all  imagination  —  half 
the  ills  of  mankind  are  in  the  imagination.  Fred,  I 
hope  to  see  you  '  away  down  east '  —  won't  forget  you 
—  got  a  little  granddaughter  —  make  a  nice  little  wife 
for  somebody  one  of  these  days.  Come  to  Port  reef, 
Maine,  and  inquire  for  old  Jotham  Kimball,  or  Major, 
as  they  call  me  at  home." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Fred;  "I  should  be  very 
happy  to  visit  you." 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "  try  to  forget 
all  about  this  quarrel,  and  be  good  friends,  and  then  I 
shall  be  happy  to  see  you  all '  down  east '  —  not  all  at 
once,  though  —  Bill  Brown  among  the  rest.  I  guess 
you  would  enjoy  yourselves,  though  they  call  us  'old 
folks'  —  all  imagination  —  no  such  thing  as  growing 
old  if  we  only  live  a  righteous  life.  Why,  I  address 
love  sonnets  now  to  my  wife  Katy,  just  as  I  did  sixty 
years  ago,  and  she  likes  to  read  them,  too,  although  she 
does  say  '  Poh ! '  I  tell  you  this  idea  of  growing  old  is 
all  imagination." 

The  boys  were  much  amused  at  the  eccentricities  of 
their  new  acquaintance,  while  they  admired  him  for  his 
sociability  and  good  nature ;  and  they  assured  him  it 
would  give  them  great  pleasure  to  visit  him  at  Portreef. 

'•  Well,  boys,"  said  the  major,  "  I  can't  remain  here 
any  longer  —  wish  I  could  —  got  to  take  the  cars  at 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  21 

five  o'clock  for  New  York  —  on  business  —  four  now 
—  three  miles  to  walk  to  the  depot." 

"  You  can  ride,  sir,  in  an  omnibus,"  suggested  Fred. 

"I  seldom  ride  in  an  omnibus,"  replied  the  major. 
"  I  rode  once  —  '  Seats  for  twelve  '  —  took  in  sixteen  — 
carried  a  fat  woman  in  my  lap  all  the  way  —  paid  two 
collectors  and  the  driver  —  was  belated,  after  all  — 
never  ride  in  an  omnibus  again  —  this  riding  to  save 
time  is  all  imagination.  Good  by,  boys  —  shall  return 
home  in  about  a  fortnight." 

Saying  this,  the  old  gentleman  caught  up  his  valise 
and  started  off  at  such  speed  as  plainly  indicated,  in 
his  case  at  least,  that  riding  in  an  omnibus  to  save 
time  was  "all  imagination." 

The  sociability  and  comicality  of  Major  Kimball  had 
operated  like  a  charm  upon  the  boys,  and  every  vestige 
of  any  thing  like  an  unfriendly  feeling  was  driven  from 
their  thoughts  ;  except,  perhaps,  a  combination  of  slight 
grief  and  resentment  in  the  mind  of  Bill  Brown,  and  a 
half-way  desire  on  the  part  of  John  Steele  to  flog  Bill 
if  ever  he  became  "  big  enough." 

The  boys  did  not  renew  their  game  after  the  old 
gentleman  left  them,  but  began  soon  to  move  off  in 
different  directions.  Fred  walked  along  by  the  side 
of  Bill  Brown,  and  was  speedily  engaged  in  earnest 
conversation  with  him.     When   they   were   about  to 


22  KRED    FREELAND,    OR 

separate,  Bill  said,  with  more  feeling  than  he  ever 
before  was  known  to  manifest, — 

"  Fred,  I  never  shall  forget  this  kindness  in  you.  It 
'most  makes  me  feel  as  though  I  should  like  to  try  to 
be  a  better  boy ;  but  then  I  s'posc  it  ain't  no  use. 
The  thing  on't  is,  Fred,  that  every  body  but  you  and 
your  little  sister  Jenny  act  jist  as  if  they  hated  me.  I 
s'pose  it's  all  my  own  fault ;  but  somehow  it  seems  as 
if  every  body  was  agin  me." 

"  O  Bill ! "  said  Fred,  with  enthusiasm  ;  "  only  once 
make  up  your  mind  to  be  peaceable,  and  to  do  what's 
right,  and  nobody  will  treat  you  badly.  You're  not 
really  wicked  at  heart,  Bill  —  I  know  you  are  not ;  and 
you  will  not  find  it  so  hard,  after  all,  to  make  the 
change.  Come,  be  determined  from  this  hour  to  make 
the  trial  in  earnest,  and  I  feel  certain  that  you  w6n't 
fail.  Then  only  think  how  much  happier  your  mother 
will  be!" 

"  I  know "  —  and  Bill  stood  in  deep  thought  for  a 
moment.  "  But  then  the  boys  here  all  hate  me  so  bad 
that  they'd  be  sayin'  things  to  make  me  mad,  and  I 
couldn't  stand  it,  no  how." 

"  But  you  must  let  them  see  that  you  don't  mean 
to  hurt  them,  and  then  they  won't  quarrel  with  you." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  Fred.  Wasn't  I  goin' 
along  peaceably,  jist  now,  when  they  begun  on  me?" 


THE    CHAIN   OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  23 

•"  True,  Bill ;  but  that  was  in  retaliation  for  the  many 
blows  you  have  given  them  before  to-day.  The  fact  is, 
it  is  only  because  they  think  you  are  bound  to  fight, 
every  time  you  meet  any  of  them,  that  makes  all  the 
trouble." 

"  Mebbe  so,"  replied  Bill,  somewhat  thoughtfully. 

"  Come,  now,"  urged  Fred,  with  a  coaxing  manner, 
"just  make  up  your  mind  that  you  won't  fight  any  boy 
for  one  week.  There's  nothing  like  making  a  good 
resolution,  and  sticking  to  it." 

"  Well,  Fred,"  said  Bill,  with  much  earnestness  in 
his  manner,  "  I'll  try,  for  your  sake,  as  well  as  my  own. 
I'm  your  friend,  Fred,  come  what  will,  and  I'll  try  to 
act  so  you  won't  be  ashamed  of  me  —  so  there's  my 
hand  on't;"  and  he  placed  his  rough  palm  in  that  of 
his  gentle  young  friend. 

"  I  am  right  glad  to  hear  you  talk  so,"  said  Fred,  as 
he  gave  his  companion's  hand  a  cordial  grasp.  "  Only 
stick  to  this  good  resolution  and  you'll  get  along  first 
rate  —  take  my  word  for  it.  Good  by,  Bill,  till  I  see 
you  again." 

"  Good  by,"  responded  the  other ;  and  the  two  boys 
separated. 


24  FEED  FREELAND,   OR 


CHAPTER    III. 


THE   FRIGHTENED    GIRLS. 


"When  Fighting  Bill  promised  Fred  Freeland  that 
he  would  endeavor  in  future  to  be  more  peaceable,  it 
was  with  an  earnestness  of  intention  that  indicated 
genuine  sincerity.  Fred  had  a  very  correct  idea  of 
Bill's  true  character,  and  his  assertion  that  he  was  not 
really  bad  at  heart  was  not  far  from  the  truth.  That 
he  possessed  a  somewhat  quarrelsome  disposition  cannot 
be  denied ;  and  that  he  was  cruel  and  relentless  in 
proportion  to  the  opposition  he  met  with  when  engaged 
in  a  quarrel  must  also  be  admitted.  These  evil  traits  of* 
character,  however,  were  more  the  result  of  a  neglected 
moral  and  religious  education,  —  of  the  unfavorable 
circumstances  by  which  he  had  been  surrounded  from 
his  infancy,  —  and  of  the  harsh  and  bitter  spirit  of 
retaliation  with  which  he  had  been  met  by  those  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact,  than  of  a  heart  naturally 
prone  to  evil  in  an  unusually  high  degree.  That  such 
was  the  case  is  very  evident  from  the  fact  that  when  he 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  25 

did  meet  with  gentle  words  and  kind  treatment,  he  was 
easily  influenced  to  take  a  sensible  and  just  view  of  the 
matter  before  him. 

The  noble  and  friendly  behavior  of  Fred,  already 
related,  had  made  a  deeper  impression  on  Bill's  rough 
nature  than  any  one  circumstance  of  his  life  ;  and  he 
was  revolving  the  subject  seriously,  on  his  way  home, 
some  two  hours  after  having  left  his  young  friend,  and 
was  busily  engaged  in  forming  plans  for  carrying  out 
his  good  resolves,  when,  upon  turning  into  the  narrow 
street  that  led  to  his  mother's  house,  he  saw  four  or 
five  little  girls  advancing  towards  him.*  The  moment 
their  eyes  rested  on  Bill  they  suddenly  stopped,  and  he 
distinctly  heard  one  of  them  say  to  her  companions, — 

"  O  dear  !  there  comes  Fighting  Bill  —  let's  run  !  " 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  they  all  but  one 
turned  and  scampered  away  like  so  many  frightened 
lambs. 

"  Yes ;  there  it  is  agin  — '  Fightin'  Bill ! ' "  said  the 
boy,  bitterly,  as  he  stood  gazing  after  the  retreating 
forms  of  the  girls.  "  Now,  what's  the  use  of  my  tryin' 
to  be  any  better,  when  I'm  so  bad  that  even  them  little 
gals  are  afraid  of  me  ?  It's  no  use  tryin' ;  every  body 
is  agin  me;  I  shall  never  be  nothin'  but  'Fightin' 
Bill.'" 

His  feelings  were  so  wrought  upon  by  the  unlucky 
3 


2G  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

words  dropped  from  the  lips  of  the  little  girl,  and  his 
attention  was  so  taken  up  by  watching  the  precipitate 
flight  of  her  and  her  companions,  that  he  did  not  notice 
that  one  of  the  party  remained  in  the  street,  until  she 
approached  quite  hear  to  him  and  said,  in  a  pleasant 
voice,  — 

"  How  do  you  do,  "William  ?  " 

"  Ah,  Jenny  Freeland,  how  do  you  do  ? "  said  Bill, 
as  he  looked  at  her  with  some  sui'prise. 

"  Very  well,  I  thank  you,"  replied  Jenny,  smiling. 

"  Was  you  with  them  other  little  gals,  that  run  away 
so  fast?"    i  • 

"  O  William  !  don't  call  us  gals  ;  it  don't  sound  well," 
said  Jenny,  laughing. 

"  Well,  girls,  then,  if  that  suits  you  any  better." 

"  Yes  ;  we  were  all  together,"  said  Jenny,  in  reply  to 
Bill's  last  question. 

"What  made  'em  run  so  when  they  see  me  comin'?" 

Jenny  hesitated  a  moment,  as  she  looked  Bill  full  in 
the  face,  and  then  replied,  — 

"  They  said  they  were  afraid  of  you,  "William." 

"  But  why  didn't  you  run  away  with  'em,  Jenny  ?  " 

"  O,  aunt  Mary  always  tells  me  never  to  run  in  the 
street  unless  there  is  some  real  danger." 

"  But  the  other  gals  — girls  I  mean  — thought  there 
ivas  danger-     Why  wasn't  you  afraid  of  me  too  ?  " 


TIIK    CIl.U.V    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  27 

"  "William,"  said  Jenny,  approaching  close  to  his  side, 
and  speaking  very  solemnly,  "  Fred  has  often  told  me 
that  our  dear  mother,  who  died  when  I  was  a  baby, 
said  to  him  just  before  she  died  that  there  was  nothing 
in  this  world  we  should  stand  so  much  in  fear  of  as 
our  oicn  bad  thoughts.  So,  I'm  never  afraid  only  when 
I've  had  wicked  thoughts  ;  and  as  I  never  had  any 
about  you,  —  never  wished  nor  did  you  any  hurt,  — 
I  wasn't  afraid  of  you.  The  other  girls  were  afraid 
because  the  boys  say  you  are  bad  ;  but  Fred  always 
told  me  to  be  kind  to  you,  and  then  I  would  have 
nothing  to  fear." 

"  And  you  never  shall  have  nothin'  to  fear  from 
me,"  said  Bill,  as  his  good  resolution  again  became 
strong  within  him ;  "  and  if  ever  I  can  do  you  a  good 
turn  in  any  way,  my  little  girl,  I'll  be  sure  to  be  on 
hand.  As  for  Fred,  I  never  can  pay  him  for  all  his 
kindness  to  me." 

"  Thank  you  ;  I'll  remember  what  you  say  ;  and  the 
hist  time  I  see  the  girls  again,  I  shall  have  a  good 
laugh  at  them  for  being  afraid  of  such  a  clever  boy  as 
you  are." 

With  a  cheerful  "good  by"  the  pleasant  little  girl 
then  tripped  along  towards  her  happy  home ;  whilst 
Bill,  as  he  leisurely  pursued  his  way  in  the  direction 
of  his  mother's  house,  said  to  himself, — 


28  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

"  If  there  was  more  Fred  and  Jenny  Freelands  in 

the  world,  I  guess  there  wouldn't  be  so  many  '  Fightin' 

Bills.'     But  what  was  it  she  said  about  bad  thoughts  ? 

Nothin'  so   much   to   be   afraid  of  as   '  our  own   bad 

thoughts!'     Mebbe   that's   it,  after   all.     I've   always 

thought  that  every  body  was  agin  me,  —  'specially  the 

boys  here  in  the  village,  —  so,  I've  been  agin   every 

body ;  but  I  guess  them's  what  that  little  Jenny  calls 

'bad  thoughts.'     I  wonder  if  there's  any  way  I/can 

think  good  thoughts !     But  I  must  see  what  mother 

thinks  of  the  plan  I've  got  in  my  head." 

Bill  had  reached  and  entered  his   mother's  humble 
* 
dwelling ;  but  finding  no  one  in  the  room,  he  dropped 

himself  abstractedly  into  a  chair,  and  rested  his  head 

upon  the  table ;  where  we  will  leave  him,  for  a  brief 

space  of  time,  and  accompany  Jenny  Freeland  on  her 

way  home. 

As  she  turned  round  the  corner  into  the  main  street, 
6he  unexpectedly  encountered  her  father,  who  was  there 
awaiting  her.  Mr.  Freeland,  being  on  his  way  home 
from  business,  had  noticed  Jenny,  as  she  stood  talking 
with.  Bill,  and  was  not  a  little  curious  to  know  how 
it  happened  that  she  came  to  be  in  such  earnest 
conversation  with  that  reputedly  bad  boy. 

'•  AVhy,  father ! "  exclaimed  Jenny,  the  moment  she 
saw  him.     "  How  long  have  you  been  waiting  here  ?  " 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCKS.  29 

"  Only  a  few  moments,"  replied  Mr.  Freeland,  as  he 
took  Jenny's  hand  and  walked  on  towards  his  house ; 
"  but  long  enough  to  see  that  my  little  daughter  had 
company  down  the  street." 

"  O,  yes,"  she  laughingly  answered ;  "  the  company 
I  left  home  with  all  ran  away  and  left  me  the  moment 
they  saw  Bill  Brown,  so  I  thought  I  had  better  make 
friends  with  him ;  and  to  tell  the  truth,  father,  I  don't 
believe  that  that  boy  is  half  so  bad  as  most  folks  say 
he  is,  after  all." 

Jenny  now  informed  her  father  with  regard  to  the 
fright  of  her  companions,  repeated  the  remark  made 
by  one  of  them  concerning  Fighting  Bill,  and  also  her 
own  subsequent  conversation  with  him. 

"  Well,  my  dear  child,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  as  Jenny 
finished  her  simple  statement  of  facts,  "I  do  not  see 
that  you  have  conducted  with  any  impropriety  in  this 
matter.  Nay,  I  will  go  further :  you  have  exhibited 
a  kind  and  generous  spirit  towards  that  unfortunate 
boy,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  fact  is  most  gratifying  to 
me.  True,  I  could  scarcely  wish  to  have  you  associate 
with  persons  of  his  character.  However,  when  you  do 
chance  to  meet  him,  if  you  always  treat  him  as  you 
have  done  in  the  present  instance,  your  conduct  will 
meet  with  my  hearty  approval." 

They  walked  along  in  silence.  Perhaps  Jenny's  kind 
3* 


30  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

words  to  the  unfortunate  boy  brought  to  her  father's 
mind  circumstances  of  his  own  past  life,  wherein  the 
kindly  influence  of  a  true  and  gentle  friend  turned 
him  from  a  downward  road,  and  assisted  him  to  regain 
the  fair  level  of  respectability  and  usefulness. 


A 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  31 


CHAPTER  IV. 

fred's  surprise. 

A  few  minutes'  walk  brought  Mr.  Freeland  and 
Jenny  to  their  home,  where  they  were  met  at  the  door 
by  "Aunt  Mary,"  Mr.  Freeland's  excellent  sister  and 
housekeeper,  who  was  beginning  to  experience  some 
anxiety  at  Jenny's  unusual  absence. 

They  had  been  in  the  house  only  a  few  minutes 
when  Fred  came  in.  Jenny,  as  usual,  ran  to  meet 
him ;  but  the  moment  she  looked  fully  at  him  she  cried 
out, — 

"Why,  Fred!  what  is  the  matter  with  you?  Are 
you  sick?"  and  instantly  her  arms  were  around  his 
neck. 

The  exclamation  made  by  Jenny  at  once  drew  the 
attention  of  her  father  and  aunt  to  Fred.  They,  too, 
were  struck  with  his  unusual  paleness.  But  he  replied 
at  once  to  Jenny's  inquiry  by  saying, — 

"  No,  my  dear  little  sis,  I  am  not  sick ;  only  a  little 
tired  — that's  all." 


32  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

"  But  what  makes  you  look  so  pale,  Fred  ? "  asked 
Jenny,  anxiously. 

"  I've  been  hard  at  play  ;  and  quite  probably  the 
perspiration  has  taken  the  tan  off,"  said  he,  laughing, 
as  he  ran  across  the  room  to  take  a  peep  into  the 
looking  glass.  He  was  himself  surprised,  however,  at 
his  extreme  paleness.  The  excitement  of  the  afternoon 
had  affected  him  more  seriously  than  he  was  previously 
aware  of. 

"  Come  now,  Fred,"  persisted  Jenny,  "  you  must  tell 
us  what  the  matter  is.  Don't  you  see  that  you  are 
pale  as  a  ghost  ?  " 

"  Now,  don't  be  troubled,  little  sis,"  said  Fred,  as  he 
turned  and  kissed  her  with  the  greatest  affection.  "  I 
tell  you,  truly,  I  am  perfectly  well.  This  paleness  is 
caused  only  by " 

"  Defending  Bill  Brown,"  interrupted  Mr.  Freeland, 
speaking  for  the  first  time. 

Had  a  mine  exploded  under  Fred's  feet  he  could 
not  have  started  with  greater  surprise  than  he  did  at 
the  utterance  of  these  three  words ;  and  the  warm  blood 
came  rushing  back  to  his  pale  cheeks  with  a  velocity 
almost  overwhelming.  Not  that  he  was  alarmed  at  the 
disclosure;  for  he  had  intended  to  inform  his  father  all 
about  the  matter  that  very  evening.  He  was  altogether 
too  frank  and  good  a  boy  to  conceal  circumstances  of 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  33 

so  much  importance  from  his  parent ;  but  he  could  not 
conceive  by  what  means  any  knowledge  of  the  affair 
had  so  soon  reached  him. 

"  How  did  you  know,  sir,  any  thing  about  our  foolish 
scrape  of  this  afternoon  ?  "  inquired  Fred  of  his  father, 
as  he  crossed  the  room  and  looked  him  calmly  and 
steadily  in  the  face,  as  if  to  read  whether  his  conduct 
was  to  be  censured  or  approved.  An  instant,  however, 
was  sufficient  to  satisfy  him ;  for  in  the  gaze  that  met 
his  own  he  readily  recognized  the  true  affection  of  a 
kind  and  generous  father. 

"  My  dear  boy,  you  look  much  surprised,"  said  Mr. 
Freeland,  as  he  put  his  arm  fondly  round  Fred  and 
drew  him  closely  to  his  side  ;  "  but  I  will  tell  you  how 
I  heard  about  your  'foolish  scrape,'  as  you  term  it.  I 
rode  from  Boston,  this  evening,  with  Squire  Hayward, 
and  learned  from  him  all  the  particulars  just  as  he  had 
heard  them  from  that  old  gentleman  who  witnessed  the 
row. 

"  Squire  Hayward  was  on  his  way  to  the  city  about 
four  o'clock  this  afternoon,  in  his  chaise,  when  he 
overtook  Major  Kimball,  whom  he  knew  years  ago, 
and  invited  him  to  ride.  He  was  much  amused  at  the 
old  gentleman's  comical  recital  of  the .  scene  on  the 
Green,  notwithstanding  he  became  aware  that  his  own 
son,  Charles,  had  been  the  leader  in  the  fray.     He  says 

c 


34  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

he  shall  reprimand  Charles,  sharply,  for  the  part  he 
took  in  the  affair." 

"  O,  I  hope  he  won't  be  too  severe  on  Charley ! "  said 
Fred,  feelingly ;  "  for  he  generally  means  well,  I  think, 
though  he  is  a  little  too  fast  sometimes." 

"  Ah,  Fred,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  as  he  gently  pressed 
his  noble  boy  to  his  heart,  "  how  thankful  I  am  that 
your  conduct  differed  so  widely  from  Charley's  ! " 

"  I  hope  I  did  nothing  wrong,  sir,"  was  Fred's  modest 
reply. 

"  Come,  now,  Freddy  dear,"  said  Jenny,  "  won't  you 
tell  me  all  about  the  trouble  this  afternoon  ?  Was  Bill 
Brown  there?" 

"Yes,  he  was  there ;  but  surely  my  little  sister  can't 
want  to  hear  any  thing  about  a  fight  among  a  parcel 
of  boys ! " 

"  But  I  know  you  didn't  fight,  Fred  ;  so  tell  us  what 
you  did  do,"  said  Jenny,  imploringly. 

"  Why,  ran  away,  to  be  sure,"  replied  Fred,  smiling. 
"  One  must  either  fight  or  run,  you  know,  when  there's 
a  battle." 

"Never  mind  about  coaxing  Fred  any  more,"  said 
Mr.  Freeland  to  Jenny,  pleasantly.  "  I  suppose  he 
dislikes  to  relate  any  thing  concerning  himself;  but 
perhaps  he  will  not  object  to  have  me  give  the  account 
of  the  affair  as  Squire  Hayward  received  it  from  Major 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  35 

Kimball.  Come,  Fred,  what  have  you  got  to  say  to 
that  ?  " 

"  0,  I  suppose  Jenny  will  not  be  satisfied  till  she 
hears  all  about  it,"  answered  he. 

"  Neither  shall  I,"  said  his  aunt  Mary. 

"  By  the  way,  aunt  Mary,"  said  Fred,  "  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  you  knew  something  about  Major  Kimball, 
for  he  said  he  resides  in  Portreef,  Maine ;  and  I  think 
you  have  been  in  that  town." 

"  Indeed  I  have,  Fred.  I  spent  some  weeks  there 
a  number  of  years  ago,  and  I  recollect  perfectly  well 
hearing  much  said  in  praise  of  Major  Kimball.  He 
was  thought  to  be  somewhat  eccentric,  but  was  highly 
esteemed  for  his  unbounded  benevolence  and  practical 
Christian  virtues." 

"Yes,"  remarked  Mi*.  Freeland;  "Squire  Hay  ward 
considers  him  a  remarkable  instance  of  peaceful  and 
contented  old  age,  overflowing  with  love  and  kindness 
for  the  whole  human  family.  I  should  be  pleased 
to  make  his  acquaintance.  But  I  see  that  Jenny  is 
impatient  to  know  what  the  trouble  was  among  the 
boys,  so  I  must  gratify  her." 

Mr.  Freeland  then  related  the  circumstances  just  as 
he  had  heard  them  from  Squire  Hay  ward  ;  and,  upon 
concluding,  he  questioned  Fred  as  to  the  correctness 
of  the  report. 


36  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

"  It  is  correct,"  replied  Fred,  "  with  the  exception 
that  Major  Kimball  has  given  me  altogether  too  much 
credit ;  for  I'm  afraid  I  shouldn't  have  succeeded  so 
well  in  getting  Bill  off  if  it  hadn't  been  for  the  good 
nature  of  Roland  Parks." 

"  I  am  much  pleased  with  the  part  you  took,  my 
son,"  said  Mr.  Freeland.  "  But,  Fred,  what  would 
you  have  done  if  the  boys  had  persisted,  after  all,  in 
carrying  out  their  original  designs  with  regard  to  Bill 
Brown  ?  " 

"  Ah,  father,  that  is  a  very  hard  question  for  me  to 
answer.  In  fact,  I  don't  think  I  had  any  plan  in  the 
matter.  I  was  quite  certain,  though,  that  the  boys 
wouldn't  hurt  me ;  but,  above  all,  I  thought  I  was  in 
the  right ;  and  you  have  always  taught  me,  sir,  not  to 
fear  when  I  had  the  right  on  my  side." 

"  True,  my  son  ;  but  you  must  always  be  certain 
that  you  are  right  before  you  take  so  bold  a  stand  as 
you  did  to-day.  However,  as  I  have  already  said,  I 
am  well  pleased  with  your  conduct  in  this  instance, 
and  feel  thankful  that  the  matter  terminated  as  it  did. 
I  hope  the  effect  will  prove  to  be  beneficial  to  all 
concerned." 

Fred  now  acquainted  his  father  with  the  conversation 
that  took  place  between  Bill  and  himself  after  they  left 
the  play  ground.     This  he  did  without  concealing  his 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  37 

firm  conviction  that  Bill  would  speedily  reform.  Mr. 
Freeland  cautioned  him  against  relying  too  much  on 
Fighting  Bill's  promises  —  knowing  full  well  the  many 
difficulties  that  obstruct  the  path  to  reformation,  of 
whatever  character.  Still,  he  urged  him  to  continue 
his  kind  treatment  and  good  advice  to  the  unfortunate 
hoy. 

Mr.  Freeland  then  related  the  particulars  of  Jenny's 
meeting  with  Bill.  Fred  complimented  his  little  sister 
highly  for  her  praiseworthy  "behavior  on  the  occasion, 
and  added,  encouragingly,  that  he  should  meet  with 
no  difficulty  in  keeping  Bill  to  his  promise,  aided  as 
he  was  by  her  efforts. 

Aunt  Mary  now  informed,  them  that  tea  had  been 
waiting  some  time;  whereupon  the  family  proceeded 
at  once  to  their  evening  repast 

In  the  mean  time  we  will  look  after  Bill  Brown, 
whom  we  left  in  his  mother's  little  room  with  his  head 
resting  on  the  pine  table.  From  this  position  he  was 
amused  by  the  entrance  of  his  mother,  who  said,  as 
she  came  into  the  room, — 

"  William,  what  is  the  matter  ?  I  didn't  know  that 
you  had  got  home." 

"  Nothin',"  he  replied,  a<  lie  started  suddenly  to  his 
feet. 

"  Yes  ;  something  has  happened  to  you,  I  am  sure," 
4 


38  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

6he  said,  as  she  noticed  the  unusual  seriousness  of  his 
countenance. 

"  No ;  nothin'  much,  mother.  I  only  got  into  a  muss 
with  the  boys,  on  the  Green,  and  Fred  Freeland  took 
my  part  in  sich  a  kind  way  as  made  me  foolish  enough 
to  promise  that  I'd  try  to  be  better  arter  this." 

"Ah,  Fred  Freeland  is  a  right  good  boy!"  said 
Mrs.  Brown,  feelingly.  "  I  never  hear  any  thing  bad 
of  him.  This  is  not  the  first  time  he  has  befriended 
you,  my  son.  I  once  accidentally  overheard  him  and 
his  little  sister  talking  about  you,  and  their  generous 
and  kind  words  brought  the  tears  into  my  eyes.  But 
I  grieve,  William,  to  hear  you  say  it  was  '  foolish '  in 
you  to  promise  him,  for  that  sounds  as  if  you  felt 
sorry  for  making  the  promise.  And,  O,  how  I  wish 
you  might  be  a  better  boy ! " 

"  Mother,"  said  Bill,  with  a  very  serious  tone,  "  I 
say  I  was  foolish  to  promise  him,  'cause  I'm  afraid 
I  can't  stick  to  it.  I  b'lieve  I  should  broke  it  'fore 
I  got  home,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Jenny  Freeland." 

Here  Bill  gave  an  account  of  the  row  on  the  Green, 
the  hurried  flight  of  the  little  girls,  and  his  subsequent 
conversation  with  Jenny.  When  he  had  concluded,  his 
mother  exclaimed,  fervently,  — 

"  God  bless  both  those  dear,  good  children  !  And 
you,  my  son  —  will  you  not  keep  your  word  to  Fred  ?  " 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  39 

"Yes,  mother,"  replied  Bill,  firmly,  "with  your  help, 
I  will.  But  I  don't  b'lieve  I  can  do  it  if  I  stay  round 
here,  where  I  shall  see  the  boys  every  time  I  go  out ; 
'cause  they'd  be  sayin'  things  to  make  me  mad,  and 
I  couldn't  stand  it.  But  I've  got  a  plan  in  my  head, 
mother,  that  I  hope  you  won't  say  nothin'  aginst.  I 
told  you  last  year,  you  know,  that  I  wanted  to  go 
a-fishing  this  summer ;  and  now,  as  the  sayin'  is,  I  can 
4  kill  two  birds  with  one  stone  : '  I  can  earn  good  wages, 
and  while  I'm  gone  old  grudges  will  kind  o'  die  out, 
and  when  I  git  back  mebbe  there  won't  be  no  more 
trouble.     Now,  mother,  what  do  you  think  of  it?" 

"  O  William  !  I  can't  consent  to  your  going  to  sea. 
"What  should  I  do  if  you  never  came  back  ?  Besides, 
how  could  you  get  a  chance  to  go?" 

"  O,  that's  easy  enough,"  said  Bill,  encouraged  by  his 
mother's  last  query.  "  There's  Sam  Jones,  you  know ; 
he  was  gone  to  the  •  Banks '  all  last  summer,  and  got 
his  ten  dollars  a  month.  He  says  he  can  git  me  a 
chance,  if  he  don't  go  agin  himself.  Only  think  on't, 
mother  !  Ten  dollars  a  month  will  make  quite  a  little 
pile  of  money  for  us  when  I  git  back !  And  then  it 
won't  cost  you  so  much  to  live  while  I'm  gone,  for  I 
don't  earn  enough  here  to  pay  my  board.  Besides,  I 
don't  b'lieve  I  can  be  a  mite  better  if  I  stay  round 
here,  among  all  the  village  boys." 


40  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

"  Well,  "William,"  said  his  mother,  after  reflecting  for 
a  few  moments,  "as  you  seem  to  be  bent  on  going, 
perhaps  I  ought  not  to  object.  It  may  be  all  for  the 
best ;  but  it  is  hard  to  think  of.  However,  you  can 
see  Sam  Jones  again,  and  hear  what  he  has  to  Bay." 

Bill  was  delighted  at  having  partially  obtained  his 
mother's  consent.  He  went  that  very  evening  to  see 
Sam  Jones,  who  promised  to  write  without  delay  to 
Captain  Jenkins,  at  Hooksink,  Maine,  —  the  man  he 
sailed  with  the  previous  season,  —  and,  through  him, 
secure  a  place  for  Bill,  who  was  anxious  to  get  away 
as  soon  as  possible. 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  41 


CHAPTER   V. 

RETROSPECT. 

The  incidents  narrated  in  the  preceding  chapters 
occurred  in  Rockmount,  one  of'the  numerous  charming 
villages  that  cluster  about  and  almost  wholly  encircle 
the  capital  of  the  "Old  Bay  State,"  like  so  many 
outposts  set  to  guard  every  avenue  leading  to  some 
important  military  camp. 

Portions  of  Rockmount,  as  its  name  would  seem  to 
indicate,  are  elevations  commanding  fine  views  not  only 
of  the  city,  but  likewise  of  the  harbor  and  bay  in  the 
distance  —  thus  rendering  it  one  of  the  most  desirable 
among  the  many  delightful  places  of  residence  for 
which  the  vicinity  of  Boston  is  so  justly  celebrated. 

On  one  of  the  elevations  of  Rockmount  stands  the 
residence  of  Mr.  James  Freeland,  within  the  walls  of 
which  the  reader  has  been  already  introduced,  and  has 
formed,  probably,  some  idea  of  its  inmates.  The  house 
is  of  the  cottage  style  of  architecture,  and  is  plain, 
neat,  and  convenient.  Its  site  is  at  a  short  distance 
4* 


42  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

from  the  street,  and  is  tastefully  ornamented  by  shade 
trees  and  shrubbery. 

Mr.  Freeland  was  not  far  from  forty-five  years  of 
age,  and  a  widower,  at  the  time  our  story  commences. 
His  wife  had  been  dead  about  nine  years ;  but  the 
recollection  of  her  many  virtues  still  remained  fresh 
in  his  memory.  His  family  consisted  of  Fred  and 
Jenny,  and  their  aunt  Mary,  who  had  served  in  the 
capacity  of  housekeeper  to  her  brother  from  the  time 
of  his  wife's  last  sickne'ss. 

That  we  may  the  better  understand  the  characters 
of  Fred  and  Jenny  Freeland,  —  whose  company,  it  is 
to  be  hoped,  the  young  reader  may  find  sufficiently 
agreeable  to  keep  through  the  following  pages,  —  it 
will  become  necessary  to  raise  the  veil  of  the  past  for 
a  brief  space  of  time,  in  order  to  throw  some  light 
upon  the  earlier  fife  and  character  of  Mr.  Freeland, 
as  well  as  to  pay  a  passing  tribute  to  the  memory  of 
his  departed  wife.  In  doing  this,  perhaps,  we  may  be 
compelled  to  call  up  unpleasant  associations,  and  to 
dwell  upon  events  that  we  could  wish  forever  buried 
in  deep  oblivion ;  but  as  there  are  circumstances  of 
an  opposite  character  closely  interwoven  with  these 
events,  and  overruling  them  for  good,  perhaps  a  few 
moments  spent  in  this  retrospection  may  prove  neither 
irksome  nor  valueless. 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  43 

James  Freeland,  when  seventeen  years  of  age,  was 
placed  by  his  father,  at  his  own  request,  in  one  of  the 
most  extensive  mercantile  houses  in  Boston,  where  he 
remained  between  three  and  four  years,  and  was  looked 
upon  by  his  employers  and  friends  in  general  as  a  very 
promising  young  man.  During  the  last  year  of  his 
clerkship,  however,  he  formed  an  acquaintance  with 
several  young  men  of  dissipated  habits,  and  before  his 
friends  had  the  slightest  suspicion  of  any  thing  wrong, 
he  was  on  the  broad  road  to  ruin. 

When  the  dangers  by  which  James  was  surrounded 
became  known  to  his  father,  he  at  once  determined  to 
remove  him  beyond  their  influence.  Accordingly,  he 
procured  for  him  the  situation  of  supercargo  of  a  fine 
ship  in  foreign  trade,  the  master  and  owners  of  which 
were  the  young  man's  particular  friends,  and  who  were 
willing  to  cast  their  influence  in  a  direction  to  bring 
about  his  reformation. 

James  himself  was  fully  aware  of  the  misery  and 
degradation  to  which  he  was  hastening,  and  felt  equally 
anxious  with  his  friends  to  be  out  of  the  reach  of 
those  temptations  that  had  beguiled  him  on  to  the  very 
verge  of  destruction.  Hence  he  most  willingly  availed 
himself  of  the  situation  which  his  father  had  procured 
for  him,  and  gave  his  friends  good  assurance  that  he 
would  strive  hard  during  his  absence  to  retrieve  what 


44  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

lie  had  lost  of  character  and  standing  within  the  past 
twelvemonth.  And  when,  after  a  short  preparation, 
the  young  man  went  on  board,  and  the  ship's  sails 
were  unfurled  for  a  far-distant  port,  it  was  with  bright 
hopes  for  the  future  that  his  parents  and  friends  bade 
him  a  long  adieu. 

The  ship  reached  her  port  of  destination  with  safety, 
and  the  young  supercargo  gave  entire  satisfaction  to 
his  employers  by  the  prompt  and  judicious  manner  in 
which  he  transacted  all  the  business  with  which  he 
had  been  intrusted.  But,  sad  to  relate,  the  demon 
Intemperance  had  clutched  his  victim  too  securely  in 
his  blighting  embrace  to  be  easily  cast  off. 

"When,  at  length,  the  ship  returned  to  Boston,  and 
James  Freeland  reached  his  father's  house,  his  friends 
could  not  but  observe,  with  disappointment  and  grief, 
the  marked  inroads  the  wine  cup  had  made  upon  his 
constitution  during  his  absence.  Still,  they  despaired 
not  of  saving  him.  All  cast  their  kindly  influences 
around  him :  a  sister's  warm  devotion  awakened  in  his 
breast  all  the  kind  and  generous  feelings  of  a  brother's 
love ;  a  mother's  tears  bedewed  his  bloated  cheek,  and 
seemed  to  allay,  in  a  measure,  the  consuming  fire  of 
intemperance  raging  madly  in  his  blood  ;  and  a  father's 
prayers,  ascending  from  the  family  altar,  penetrated  his 
inmost  soul,  and  caused  him  again  to  resolve  that  he 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  45 

would  shake  off  the  dread  destro)rer  at  once,  and  rise 
to  his  proper  station,  while  he  yet  retained  a  hold 
upon  respectable  society  through  his  former  excellent 
character  and  the  influence  of  kind  and  faithful  friends. 

As  he  had  given  his  employers  perfect  satisfaction 
in  the  situation  of  supercargo,  he  experienced  no  great 
difficulty  in  obtaining  another  berth  of  the  same  kind. 
And  when  he  sailed  on  his  second  voyage,  it  was  witb 
a  full  determination,  should  his  life  be  spared,  to  return 
an  altered  man  for  the  better.  But,  alas !  the  resolves 
of  one  who  has  become  addicted  to  intemperance  are 
difficult  to  be  carried  out,  unless  the  victim  has  true 
and  faithful  friends  ever  at  his  side  to  shield  him  from 
the  many  temptations  that  beset  his  path,  or  his  own 
soul  respond  to  some  divine  influence  that  lights  anew 
the  flickering  spark  which  yet  struggles  in  the  breast 
of  the  poor  fallen  mortal. 

In  tins  instance,  although  James  Freeland  succeeded 
in  disposing  of  the  outward  cargo  in  a  manner  quite 
satisfactory  to  himself  and  his  employers,  he  fell  far 
short  of  carrying  out  his  good  intentions  with  regard 
to  himself;  and  the  master  of  the  ship,  in  preparing 
for  the  homeward  voyage,  found  it  necessary  to  assume 
many  duties  that  properly  belonged  to  the  supercargo. 

Again  the  perils  of  the  sea  were  passed  through  in 
safety,  and  the  young  man  once  more  reached  home ; 


46  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 

but,  instead  of  any  reformation  having  taken  place,  his 
intemperate  habits  had  completely  overpowered  him. 
He  had  returned  to  his  almost  heart-broken  parents 
penniless,  dejected,  and  with  a  half-ruined  constitution ; 
with  loss  of  friends,  character,  and  all  self-respect :  he 
was  a  confirmed  sot.  Arguments,  tears,  and  prayers 
were  of  no  avail.  Nothing  seemed  to  rouse  him  from 
his  degraded  condition.  His  friends  gave  him  up  as 
lost,  and  a  grief  far  deeper  than  that  for  the  dead  was 
fast  bearing  his  broken-spirited  parents  towards  their 
last  resting-place.  Unable  longer  to  gain  access  to  the 
intoxicating  cup,  an  entire  prostration  of  the  system 
was  the  consequence,  and  the  unfortunate  young  man 
became  sick,  weak,  and  helpless  as  a  child. 

It  was  at  this  dark  and  gloomy  hour  that  an  angel 
of  love  and  mercy,  in  the  person  of  Anna  Eustis,  was 
seen  hovering  around  the  wretched  invalid  with  words 
of  encouragement  falling  from  her  spotless  lips.  An 
intimate  and  warm  friendship  had  existed  for  years 
between  her  and  James  Freeland ;  but  whether  the 
thought  of  a  nearer  and  holier  tie  had  been  at  any 
time  cherished  by  either  or  both,  was  known  only  to 
themselves. 

From  the  earliest  period  of  James's  intemperance  he 
had  avoided  Anna's  society  —  conscious,  probably,  that 
one  so  good  and  pure  as  she  should  not  even  breathe 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  47 

an  atmosphere  contaminated  by  the  presence  of  an 
inebriate ;  but  she  continued  to  manifest  the  liveliest 
interest  in  every  thing  that  related  to  his  welfare ;  and 
among  all  his  friends  there  was  no  one,  perhaps,  who 
experienced  a  deeper  grief  at  his  fall. 

At  this  critical  period,  when  he  was  so  prostrated 
through  sin  and  degradation  that  it  seemed  almost 
useless  to  make  any  further  efforts  in  his  behalf,  this 
fair  and  faithful  friend  came  to  him  with  words  of 
hope  and  promise,  with  deeds  of  love  and  kindness, 
and  by  the  exercise  of  that  sweet  influence,  akin  to 
heavenly,  which  none  but  gentle,  faithful,  virtuous 
woman  can  wield  over  poor  erring  man,  she  induced 
him  to  make  one  more  effort  to  save  himself.  She 
persuaded  him,  as  soon  as  his  strength  would  permit, 
to  attend  a  temperance  meeting,  and  sign  the  pledge. 
From  that  hour  a  fixed  determination  to  be  again  A 
man  took  possession  of  his  soul  —  and  he  was  never 
known  to  put  the  intoxicating  cup  to  his  lips  after  that 
day. 

"When  it  became  known  that  James  Freeland  was 
making  another  attempt  at  reformation,  several  of  his 
old  friends  came  forward  and  offered  to  assist  him  into 
business.  He  gratefully  thanked  them,  with  tears  in 
his  eyes,  for  their  proffered  kindness  ;  yet  he  firmly 
declined  all  their  offers,  urging  as  a  reason  that  he  had 


48  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

forfeited  all  right  to  any  such  assistance  by  his  late 
misconduct,  and  that  he  was  determined  to  rely  wholly 
on  his  own  exertions  in  the  attempt  to  regain,  in  a 
measure  at  least,  a  respectable  position  in  society. 

He  at  once  obtained  a  clerkship  in  a  large  mercantile 
house  in  Boston,  and  speedily  won  a  high  reputation  for 
excellent  business  habits.  At  the  end  of  one  year  he 
commenced  business  on  a  small  scale  for  himself,  which, 
gradually  increasing,  soon  brought  him  a  comfortable 
little  income.  Instead  of  longer  avoiding  the  society 
of  Anna  Eustis,  he  sought  it  at  every  opportunity,  and 
rumor  predicted  that  a  match  would  be  the  result.  At 
first,  her  friends  were  somewhat  averse  to  a  renewal 
of  the  intimacy,  and  expressed  to  her  their  fears,  not 
without  reason,  that  he  might  again  return  to  his  bad 
habits.  Her  reply  was,  that  time  only  could  determine 
whether  she  should  unite  her  fate  with  his  for  life  ; 
but,  at  all  events,  she  would  not  do  so  until  he  had 
undergone  a  probation  of  sufficient  duration  to  satisfy 
all  reasonable  minds  that  his  reformation  was  thorough, 
and  beyond  a  doubt. 

After  the  lapse  of  some  four  or  five  years,  during 
which   time   James    Freeland   fully   reestablished    his 
character   for   sobriety  and  worth,  Anna  Eustis   gave, 
to   him   her   hand   and   heart  in  marriage.     He   had 
previously  purchased  the  pleasant  estate  in  Rockmount, 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  49 

— already  visited  by  the  reader, — whither  they  at  once 
removed,  fondly  hoping  there  to  spend  many  years  of 
connubial  happiness.  Alas  for  human  hopes !  Mrs. 
Freeland's  health,  which  had  ever  been  rather  delicate, 
began  gradually  to  decline  soon  after  the  birth  of  Fred, 
during  their  second  year's  residence  at  Rockmount,  and 
her  friends  were  fearful  that  her  mission  on  earth  was 
about  to  terminate.  But  through  prompt  and  judicious 
medical  treatment,  the  kindest  attentions  of  her  devoted 
husband,  and  the  blessing  of  God,  her  disease  assumed 
a  milder  phase,  and  finally  seemed  to  yield  altogether, 
leaving  her  in  a  good  state  of  health,  apparently,  for 
something  like  three  years. 

On  the  fourth  anniversary  of  Fred's  birthday  their 
family  circle  was  enlarged  by  the  presence  of  little 
Jenny.  Soon,  however,  it  was  but  too  evident  that 
Mrs.  Freeland  was  a  victim  to  that  slow,  sure,  but 
insidious  disease,  consumption.  Her  kind  and  loving 
husband  looked  upon  her  now  rapidly-declining  health 
with  feelings  of  the  most  acute  agony.  How  could  he 
endure  the  thought  that  he  was  so  soon  to  lose  his 
inestimable  companion;  the  mother  of  his  two  young 
children;  she  who  had  been  to  him  truly  a  "guardian 
angel"! 

We  will  pass  silently  over  the  few  months  of  patient 
suffering  endured  by  this  most  excellent  Christian  wife 
5  D 


50  FRED   FEE ELAND,   OB 

and  mother,  and  move  cautiously  and  noiselessly  into 
the  still  and  solemn  chamber  where  Mr.  Freeland  and 
his  precious  children  have  just  assembled  to  catch  the 
last  utterance  from  the  lips  of  that  dear  woman  who 
has  never  been  known  to  breathe  other  than  words 
of  love  and  kindness,  charity  and  truth,  hope  and 
consolation,  to  all  who  have  been  blessed  with  the 
privilege  of  her  society. 

"James,"  said  she,  in  tones  almost  inaudible,  as  Mr. 
Freeland  stood  by  her  bed  side  with  Jenny  in  his  arms, 
then  less  than  a  year  old,  and  with  Fred  by  his  side,  — 
"James,  I  feel  that  the  moment  is  at  hand  when  all 
earthly  ties  between  us  must  be  sundered.  I  am 
ready  —  willing.  "We  must  bow  to  the  will  of  God, 
nor  think  it  hard.  We  shall  meet  in  heaven,  for  He 
hath  promised." 

For  a  moment  or  two  she  was  silent,  exhausted  by 
the  effort  of  speaking.     Presently  she  continued, — 

"I  need  not  say  to  you,  Guard  well  these  precious 
little  ones  —  I  know  you  will ;  I  trust  them  confidingly 
to  you  and  our  heavenly  Father.  Now,"  she  feebly 
added,  "place  little  Jenny  beside  me  on  my  pillow. 
Freddy,  dear,  take  mother's  hand  ;  husband,  the  other. 
There,"  she  faintly  murmured,  "  I  am  happy ! "  and, 
with  a  smile  of  surpassing  sweetness  o'erspreading  her 
beautifully-tranquil  features,  she  glided  serenely  away 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIKCUMSTANCES.  51 

to  her  rich  reward  in  the  spirit  world  —  to  mingle 
with  myriads  of  angels  in  their  rejoicings  over  the 
restoration  of  that  erring  mortal,  whom,  on  earth,  Bhe 
had  been  the  means  of  bringing  back  to  usefulness, 
to  duty,  and  to  God. 


52  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 


CHAPTER   VI. 


FRED   AND   JENNY. 


Mr.  Freeland  was  accustomed  to  speak  often  and 
without  restraint  to  his  sister  concerning  the  welfare 
of  his  children,  that  being  a  subject  near  and  dear  to 
his  heart ;  and  she  always  listened  to  him  on  these 
occasions  with  the  liveliest  interest,  for  Fred  and  Jenny 
were  equally  as  dear  to  her  as  if  they  had  been  her 
own  offspring.  • 

Fred  and  Jenny  having  retired  for  the  night,  on  an 
evening  soon  after  the  little  fracas  among  the  boys  on 
Rockmount  Green,  Mr.  Freeland,  in  conversation  with 
his  sister,  alluded  to  that  occurrence,  and  spoke  more 
particularly  of  his  children's  conduct  on  that  day  than 
he  had  cared  to  do  in  their  presence. 

"  Ah,  brother,"  said  aunt  Mary,  "  you  have  reason  to 
be  sincerely  thankful  that  you  are  blessed  with  two 
such  children." 

"  True,"  replied  he ;  "  and  I  trust  I  am  thankful  for 
so  great  a  blessing.     Still,  an  occasional  fear  comes 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  53 

over  me,  on  Fred's  account,  with  respect  to  that  one 
fault  of  which  I  have  frequently  spoken  to  you,  and 
of  the  danger  of  which  I  have  often  admonished  him." 

"  I  know  to  what  you  allude,  brother ;  but,  really,  I 
think  you  give  yourself  altogether  too  much  anxiety  on 
account  of  that  slight  foible  of  Fred's.  It  is  nothing 
more  than  a  childish  curiosity  in  him,  which  a  year  or 
two  more,  with  his  fixed  principles  of  right  and  duty, 
will  wholly  correct." 

"  God  grant  that  it  may  be  so,"  said  Mr.  Freeland, 
earnestly;  "but  I  have  misgivings,  at  times,  which  I 
cannot  easily  overcome.  I  fear  this  fault  will,  sooner 
or  later,  lead  him  into  difficulty." 

The  young  reader  must  not  hastily  conclude  that  we 
are  about  to  claim  perfection  for  our  little  hero  merely 
because  he  has  been  introduced  under  such  favorable 
circumstances :  not  at  all ;  but  his  faults  were  few,  and 
such  as  would  be,  most  probably,  readily  overlooked. 
In  truth,  he  was  a  noble  boy,  and  such  a  one  as  a 
father  might  well  be  proud  of.  He  was  the  soul  of 
truth  and  honor,  and  generous  in  the  extreme.  He 
was  a  great  favorite  with  all  his  acquaintance,  more 
especially  among  his  village  associates.  Possessing  no 
little  influence  over  his  companions,  as  the  reader  has 
already  seen,  he  never  exercised  it  excepting  where 
occasion  seemed  to  require  it  for  their  good. 
5* 


54  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

"When  engaged  in  boyish  amusements  with  his  mates, 
Fred  was  all  life  and  merriment,  and  ever  ready  to 
enlist  in  any  innocent  sport.  He  had,  notwithstanding, 
a  remarkably  strong  attachment  for  home,  and  would 
give  whole  afternoons  and  evenings  to  the  employment 
of  making  and  arranging  playthings,  and  to  getting  up 
various  little  amusements,  for  his  sister's  diversion,  in 
preference  to  seeking  the  rougher  sort  of  sports  with 
his  school-boy  companions.  In  fact,  he  almost  idolized 
Jenny,  and  seemed  never  to  tire  in  the  performance 
of  little  kindnesses  towards  her ;  while  she,  in  return, 
was  all  love  and  devotion  to  him,  and  received  all  his 
attentions  with  unfeigned  gratitude  and  delight.  Thus 
was  strengthened  and  made  abiding  between  these  two 
happy  children  that  tie  of  holy  affection  so  beautiful 
to  behold  in  brother  and  sister,  and  which  should  be 
encouraged  and  cherished  in  every  family  as  one  of 
the  surest  safeguards  to  virtue  and  happiness. 

But  Mr.  Freeland  has  alluded  to  a  certain  fault  in 
Fred's^  character,  and  probably  the  reader  may  feel 
some  little  interest  in  its  disclosure.  Now,  we  should 
greatly  prefer  to  dwell  upon  the  many  merits  of  our 
young  friend,  if  such  a  course  would  serve  as  well  all 
the  objects  of  our  story;  but,  believing  that  it  would 
not,  we  are  compelled  to  "  tell  tales  out  of  school,"  and 
enlighten  the  reader  with  regard  to  Fred's  failing. 


THE    CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  55 

The  fault  in  question  consisted  of  an  over-curiosity ; 
or,  perhaps,  the  word  "meddlesomeness"  would  better 
convey  the  idea.  He  possessed  an  inordinate  desire 
to  scrutinize  closely  every  thing  that  came  under  his 
eye.  He  would  thoughtlessly  take  up  any  article  that 
attracted  his  attention,  without  due  regard  to  place  or 
circumstances,  for  the  purpose  of  a  minute  inspection ; 
and  hence  it  became  necessary  to  say  to  him,  much 
too  often,  "Hands  off!" 

This  weakness  in  Fred's  character  was  a  source  of 
much  annoyance,  regret,  and  grief  to  his  father,  who 
admonished  him  frequently  and  earnestly  of  the  great 
impropriety,  and  even  danger,  of  continuing  the  habit. 
Fred,  being  now  fourteen  years  of  age,  began  to  realize 
the  importance  of  a  stricter  watch  over  his  own  conduct 
in  this  particular.  He  had,  in  a  measure,  succeeded 
in  overcoming  the  habit;  but  it  was  of  long  standing, 
and  difficult  to  conquer,  and  he  still  required  a  word 
of  caution  from  his  father,  occasionally,  to  save  him 
from  some  temptation  that  came  in  his  way. 

Perhaps  it  was  Fred's  great  excellence  in  most  other 
respects  that  caused  his  father  to  attach  so  much  weight 
to  this  one  failing,  for  it  was  almost  wholly  overlooked 
by  every  body  else ;  and  he  had  the  credit  of  being, 
as  indeed  he  was,  one  of  the  very  best  boys  in  the 
community. 


56  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 

Jenny's  character  is  not  so  easily  understood ;  and 
it  would  be  as  well,  probably,  to  leave  the  reader  to 
form  his  own  estimate  of  her  as  the  story  progresses. 
There  was  nothing  positively  attractive  in  her  personal 
appearance  at  first  sigbt.  Her  skin  was  fair,  and  her 
features  regular,  but  she  was  by  no  means  beautiful : 
still,  the  moment  she  spoke,  one  could  not  but  take  an 
interest  in  her.  Some  —  and  perhaps  there  were  good 
reasons  for  it  —  called  her  a  strange  child. 

Jenny  was  ten  years  old  at  the  time  of  which  we 
write,  but  so  small  and  fragile  that  a  stranger  would 
have  considered  her  to  be  no  more  than  seven  or  eight ; 
yet,  upon  acquaintance,  she  would  be  likely  to  receive 
credit  for  more  years  than  she  had  seen.  She  was 
almost  uniformly  gentle  and  affectionate.  At  times, 
however,  she  exhibited  a  disposition  the  very  reverse 
of  this ;  and  although  these  exhibitions  were  "  few,  and 
far  between,"  yet  they  had  been  the  cause  of  no  slight 
sorrow  to  her  friends  —  particularly  her  father. 

If  she  had  reason  to  believe,  at  any  time,  that  her 
own  rights  and  privileges,  or  those  of  any  near  friend, 
were  wantonly  infringed ;  if  she  felt  confident  that  an 
injury  had  been  inflicted  intentionally  upon  her  or  any 
one  of  the  family ;  or  if  her  veracity  was  questioned 
in  any  matter  whereof  she  had  stated  nothing  but  the 
plain  truth,  her  whole  nature  would  seem  to  undergo 


THE   CHAIN   OF  CIRCUMSTANCES.  57 

an  instantaneous  change,  and  she  would  become  almost 
frantic  with  the  wildest  rage. 

But  we  have  said  these  paroxysms  of  passion  were 
of  rare  occurrence ;  and,  happily,  they  were  becoming 
more  and  more  so,  which  gave  her  friends  good  grounds 
to  hope  that  she  would  ere  long  wholly  outgrow  them. 
No  one  except  her  father  or  brother  had  the  slightest 
influence  over  her  at  such  times;  but  they  seemed  to 
possess  a  charmed  word,  which,  when  spoken  in  her 
ear,  would  at  once  restore  her  to  reason,  and  cause 
sincere  penitence. 

Her  love  for  her  father  and  brother  knew  no  bounds. 
She  would  never  consent  to  the  former's  going  from 
home  to  remain  over  night  unless  she  accompanied 
him.  Indeed,  we  might  almost  be  led  to  believe  that 
the  gentle  and  protecting  power  exercised  by  Jenny's 
mother  over  Mr.  Freeland,  both  before  and  after  her 
marriage,  was,  at  her  death,  transferred  to  the  infant 
daughter  at  her  side  —  thus  perpetuating  that  benign 
influence  that  had  proved  a  complete  shield  of  purity 
and  love  over  a  once-erring  mortal. 

The  true  excellence  of  Jenny's  little  heart  was  in  no 
one  particular  more  beautifully  illustrated  than  in  her 
uniform  kindness  to  an  unfortunate  youth,  living  near 
her  father's,  named  John  Fox.  This  boy  had,  in  a 
great  measure,  lost  his  reason  from  an  injury  on  the 


58  FRED   FREELAAD,   OR 

head.  He  was  well  known  throughout  Rockmount  and 
its  vicinity  as  "Foolish  John."  Jenny  never  lost  an 
opportunity  of  doing  this  poor  youth  some  little  act  of 
kindness  ;  consequently,  through  the  slight  glimmer  of 
his  remaining  reason,  he  looked  upon  her  as  a  superior 
being,  and  always  expressed  pleasure  at  seeing  her, 
though  he  shunned  society  generally.  The  reader  will 
learn  more  concerning  Foolish  John  hereafter. 

It  was  prophesied  by  some  individuals,  and  probably 
feared  by  many  others,  at  the  time  Mr.  Freeland  lost 
his  most  exemplary  wife,  that  he  would  relapse  into  his 
former  habit  of  intemperance.  Such  persons,  however, 
were  little  aware  of  the  firmness  of  the  resolution  he 
had  formed ;  could  not  fully  appreciate  the  absolute 
reverence  with  which  he  cherished  the  memory  of  his 
departed  wife ;  and  were  ignorant  of  the  extent  of  the 
influences,  both  natural  and  divine,  that  had  penetrated 
even  the  inmost  recesses  of  his  bein'g,  and  produced  a 
reformation  both  thorough  and  enduring. 

Nine  years  have  passed  away  since  Mr.  Freeland 
laid  the  companion  of  his  bosom  in  the  silent  grave, 
and  during  all  this  period  there  has  been  not  the 
slightest  reason  for  a  whisper  to  his  discredit;  but,  on 
the  contrary,  we  find  him  enjoying  a  high  degree  of 
confidence  and  respect  among  his  fellow-citizens.  He 
was  repeatedly  solicited  to  accept  offices  of  emolument, 


THE    CHAIN   OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  59 

honor,  and  trust;  but  he  invariably  declined  all  such 
propositions,  choosing  rather  to  pursue  his  own  private 
business,  and  enjoy  the  retirement  and  society  of  his 

* 

own  little  family  circle  —  the  vacuum  in  winch  was 
filled  by  dutiful  resignation,  sweet  memory,  and  never- 
dying  hope. 

One  word  here  with  regard  to  "Aunt  Mary"  —  the 
trusty,  kind,  and  judicious  manager  of  Mr.  Freeland's 
household  affairs.  It  is  a  trite  remark  that  no  one 
ever  looks  after  the  welfare  of  children  with  the  same 
degree  of  interest  as  their  mother ;  but  in  this  instance 
it  would  have  been  dilficult  for  the  closest  observer  to 
detect  any  want  of  attention,  solicitude,  or  kindness. 
Fred  and  Jenny  met  with  a  serious  misfortune  when 
the  best  of  mothers  was  taken  from  them;  but  they 
were,  undoubtedly,  saved  many  a  consequent  evil  in 
having  her  place  so  well  supplied  by  their  thoughtful 
and  affectionate  aunt. 

Nor  were  this  faithful  woman's  sympathy  and  good 
deeds  wholly  restricted  to  her  brother's  family ;  for 
many  were  the  poor  and  uncared-for  little  boys  and 
girls  whom  she  rescued  from  idleness  and  ignorance, 
and,  after  washing  and  clothing  them,  conducted  to  the 
Sabbath  school  where  she  had  long  been  an  efficient 
teacher,  and  there  commenced  and  continued  a  course 
of  instruction  well  calculated  to  lead  these  otherwise 


60  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 

neglected  little  ones  to  lives  of  usefulness  and  virtue  — 
an  example  that  might,  doubtless,  be  more  frequently 
followed  without  detriment  to  the  cause  of  Sabbath 
schools,  and  with  an  infinite  amount  of  good  to  poor 
and  ignorant  children,  and  consequently  to  society  at 
large. 


THE    CHAIN    OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  61 


CHAPTER    VII. 


BILL   BROWN. 


Having  given  the  reader  cause  to  believe  that  we 
intend  to  follow  up  the  acquaintance  already  made 
with  Fred  and  Jenny  Freeland,  it  is  quite  probable 
that  we  may  see  and  hear  something  more  of  Bill 
Brown,  as  it  will  be  recollected  that  he  has  pledged 
his  word  to  be  the  faithful  friend  of  this  affectionate 
brother  and  sister.  This  being  the  case,  so  much  of 
a  description  of  his  personal  appearance  and  character 
as  will  lead  to  his  recognition,  should  he  again  be  met 
with,  seems  necessary  in  this  place. 

Bill  was  a  little  more  than  fourteen  years  of  age 
when  first  brought  to  the  reader's  notice.  He  was 
very  stout  and  strong,  with  shoulders  sufficiently  broad 
for  a  well-developed  man.  Two  or  three  ordinary  boys 
of  his  own  age  were  as  nothing  in  his  hands.  He  was 
the  acknowledged  bully  of  the  village ;  and  hence  his 
sobriquet  of  "Fighting  Bill"  —  an  epithet  we  shall  no 
longer  apply  to  him  if  he  keeps  his  promise  to  Fred 
6 


62  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

to  "try."  He  had  large,  full,  black  eyes,  and  thick, 
bushy,  dark  hair.  A  sort  of  sullen,  forbidding  look 
usually  marked  his  countenance;  but  when  his  better 
nature  was  appealed  to,  and  a  smile  relaxed  his  hard 
features,  there  was  something  rather  agreeable  than 
otherwise  in  their  general  expression ;  and  at  such 
times  he  would  have  passed,  with  many  persons,  for  a 
tolerably  good-looking  boy. 

Bill's  character  has  been  thus  far  spoken  of  chiefly 
with  regard  to  his  quarrelsomeness.  This  appears  to 
be  the  only  well-sustained  charge  brought  against  him ; 
yet  he  was  frequently  suspected  of  other  misdemeanors. 
He  might,  very  likely,  swerve  from  the  truth  in  some 
instances;  but  he  was  much  too  fearless  of  consequences 
to  be  a  confirmed  bar. 

A  petty  theft  was  occasionally  perpetrated  in  the 
village,  and  as  Bill  bore  the  reputation  of  a  bad  boy, 
he  was  silently  accused,  in  the  minds  of  many  persons, 
of  being  the  culprit ;  but  no  evidence  had  ever  come 
to  light  to  sustain  any  such  charge  against  him.  He 
was  by  no  means  lazy.  On  the  contrary,  he  seemed 
willing  to  work  whenever  there  was  employment  to  be 
obtained.  His  bad  reputation,  however,  often  stood  in 
the  way  of  his  getting  little  jobs  of  work  about  the 
village ;  but  when  he  did  chance  to  earn  any  thing, 
he  invariably  carried  it  to  his  mother,  who  supported 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  63 

herself  and  son  chiefly  by  the  laborious  occupation  of 
washing  and  ironing. 

Mrs.  Brown  was  a  quiet,  industrious  woman,  and 
kept  her  little  tenement,  as  well  as  herself  and  Bill, 
in  a  condition  as  neat  and  comfortable  as  her  stinted 
means  would  admit  of.  She  had  lived  in  Kockmount 
something  more  than  two  years,  and  was  considered  a 
very  worthy  woman.  Her  husband  was  sick  at  the 
time  they  moved  into  the  place,  and  died  shortly  after 
—  a  victim,  it  was  believed,  to  intemperance.  It  is 
altogether  probable  that  to  the  harsh  and  unreasonable 
treatment  which  Bill  had  received  at  the  hands  of  a 
dissipated  father  may  be  attributed  much,  if  not  all, 
of  that  quarrelsome  propensity  which  brought  him  so 
often  into  trouble  with  other  boys;  for,  nine  times  in 
ten,  whenever  a  boy  receives  injury  from  his  superiors 
in  strength,  he  will  foolishly  and  wickedly  seek  revenge 
by  administering  abuse  upon  those  weaker  than  himself. 

The  bad  reputation  of  her  son  was  a  source  of  much 
sorrow  to  Mrs.  Brown,  who  felt  for  him  all  the  anxiety 
of  an  affectionate  mother.  He  was  her  only  living 
child,  and  many  were  the  troubled  days  and  sleepless 
nights  she  experienced  on  his  account.  Unfortunately, 
however,  she  could  not  exercise  sufficient  influence  over 
him  to  control  his  turbulent  temper,  and  induce  him  to 
restrain  his  evil  propensities. 


64  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

Notwithstanding  all  his  faults,  Bill  loved  his  mother, 
and  had  more  than  once  promised  her  that  he  would 
endeavor  to  do  better.  But  he  seemed  to  take  delight 
and  pride  in  being  considered  a  great  fighter,  and  the 
consequence  was,  that  his  mother's  entreaties  and  tears 
were  forgotten  the  moment  an  opportunity  offered  for 
him  to  exhibit  his  brutality. 

Fred  and  Jenny  Freeland,  however,  appear  to  have 
kindled  up  in  Bill's  bosom  a  hitherto  dormant  spark 
of  humanity ;  but  whether  it  will  continue  to  glow  and 
expand  until  it  enlivens  and  warms  his  whole  nature 
into  one  generous  sympathy  with  the  good  and  the 
true  around  him,  time  alone  will  show.  At  all  events, 
there  is  one  thing  greatly  in  his  favor,  and  that  is,  he 
was  never  known  to  be  guilty  of  that  most  despicable 
and  soul-destroying  sin  of  using  abusive  language  to  his 
mother!    There  is  yet  hope  for  him. 


THE   CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  65 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


MAD    DOG. 


About  one  week  had  passed  after  the  occurrence 
of  the  "  bloodless  battle  "  among  the  boys  on  the  Green, 
and  every  thing  remained  quiet  in  Rockmount,  when, 
suddenly,  towards  the  close  of  a  fine  afternoon,  the 
residents  on  the  street  leading  from  the  central  part 
of  the  village  in  the  direction  of  Mr.  Freeland's,  were 
startled  by  the  cry  of  "  Mad  dog ! "  The  occupants  of 
houses  on  either  side  of  the  street  rapidly  closed  their 
doors,  and  timid  pedestrians  rushed  hurriedly  into  the 
nearest  places  of  safety,  as  the  alarming  sound  reached 
their  ears. 

Presently,  a  common-sized  dog  was  seen  speeding 
furiously  up  the  street,  snapping  his  jaws  to  the  right 
and  left  as  he  ran,  and  with  his  mouth  covered  with 
foam.  A  number  of  men  and  boys  were  in  swift 
pursuit,  shouting  loudly  as  they  followed  on,  to  give 
the  alarm  to  any  persons  that  might  be  in  the  street 
in  advance  of  the  do". 


66  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

The  rabid  creature  encountered  two  other  dogs  soon 
after  the  chase  commenced,  both  of  which  he  attacked, 
for  a  moment,  and  then  continued  on  again  up  the 
long,  straight  street.  His  pursuers  gained  upon  him 
while  he  was  in  contact  with  the  other  dogs,  but  did 
not  get  sufficiently  near  to  despatch  him.  The  race 
continued ;  reinforcements  arrived  every  moment,  and 
the  excitement  increased  proportionally. 

The  dog  is  just  entering  upon  a  part  of  the  street 
where  there  are  no  houses  —  one  side  being  lined  by 
a  close  board  fence,  and  a  stone  wall  extending  along 
the  other  something  like  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  Near 
the  centre  of  this  space,  on  the  side  next  the  wall,  are 
three  little  girls,  going  home  from  school,  who  are  just 
now  made  aware,  for  the  first  time,  of  the  impending 
danger.  And  look !  Is  it  so  ?  yes,  too  true ;  one  of 
them  is  our  little  friend  Jenny  Frceland.  But  all 
three  have  taken  the  alarm,  and  are  scampering  off, 
for  deal*  life,  up  the  street,  evidently  with  the  hope  of 
reaching  a  house  situated  near  the  termination  of  the 
wall. 

As  the  imminent  peril  of  these  girls  became  known, 
the  pursuit  was  continued  with  renewed  energy;  and 
some  distance  in  advance  of  all  others  might  have 
been  noticed  one  man  who  was  making  superhuman 
exertions,  almost,  to  come  up  with  the  fearful  brute. 


THE    CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  67 

A  painful  circumstance,  though  at  the  time  considered 
fortunate,  now  seemed  to  favor  him.  A  cow  happened 
to  be  coming  down  the  street  at  the  moment,  and  the 
dog  sprang  furiously  at  her  head,  and  set  his  teeth 
deep  into  her  nose.  The  poor  beast,  in  her  agony, 
dashed  wildly  over  the  ground,  bringing  the  dog  back 
some  little  distance  towards  his  pursuers,  and  inspiring 
them  with  the  hope  that  the  children  might  yet  reach 
a  place  of  safety.  But,  in  a  moment  more,  the  cow 
shook  the  dog  off,  and  away  he  again  sped,  like  the 
wind,  directly  after  Jenny  and  her  companions. 

It  was  now  noticed  that  the  largest  girl  of  the  three 
was  some  rods  in  advance  of  the  others,  the  smallest 
one  next,  and  Jenny  in  the  rear,  whilst  the  dog  was 
rapidly  nearing  her  at  every  bound.  The  gentleman 
already  alluded  to  was  becoming  more  deeply  excited, 
and,  running  at  the  top  of  his  speed,  he  shouted, — 

"  Jenny !  Jenny  !  throw  down  your  carpet  bag !  " 

All  now  saw  that  she  was  encumbered  by  her  bag 
of  school  books,  and  consequently  could  not  run  so  fast 
as  her  companions. 

The  gentleman  who  called  thus  earnestly  to  Jenny 
was  her  father.  The  first  alarm  had  been  given  just 
as  he  stepped  out  of  the  Rockmount  and  Boston  coach  ; 
and  knowing  it  was  the  usual  time  for  school  to  be 
out,  he  at  once  thought  of  his  dear  children,  and  joined 


68  FllED    ERE  ELAND,    OR 

anxiously  in  the  exciting  chase;  and  his  parental  eye 
was  not  long  in  discovering  his  daughter's  dangerous 
position. 

Jenny  certainly  understood  her  father's  command  to 
drop  her  bag  of  books,  for,  half  turning  as  she  ran, 
she  waved  one  hand  over  her  head  as  a  token  that 
she  heard  him ;  but  she  still  held  fast  the  carpet  bag, 
while  she  flew  over  the  ground  with  increased  speed, 
as  if  his  voice  had  given  her  new  life. 

All  Jenny's  efibrts,  however,  seemed  to  be  fruitless, 
for  the  rabid  animal  was  within  a  few  feet  of  her,  and 
escape  appeared  next  to  impossible.  Mr.  Freeland 
groaned  aloud  in  his  agony  of  despair,  as  once  more 
he  shouted, — 

"  Jenny !  in  Heaven's  name  drop  your  books ! " 

But  at  that  critical  moment  the  child  convinced  her 
father  that  she  had  not  lost  her  presence  of  mind,  and 
that  the  bag  of  books  might  yet  be  her  salvation ;  for, 
when  the  next  spring  of  the  dog  would  have  brought 
him  full  upon  her  heels,  quick  as  thought  she  whirled 
herself  about,  and  met  him  —  as,  with  distended  jaws 
and  foaming  lips,  he  leaped  towards  her — directly  in 
the  mouth  with  one  corner  of  the  carpet  bag.  The 
terrible  creature,  in  his  blind  fury,  at  once  set  his 
teeth  completely  through  the  bag,  and  fastened  them 
firmly  in  a  leather-covered  book.     Jenny  waited  not 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  69 

an  instant,  but  was  off  again  like  a  frightened  fawn, 
leaving  the  dog  to  struggle  with  his  mouthful  of  books. 

A  shout  of  applause  from  the  crowd  greeted  Jenny's 
courageous  act,  and  there  seemed  to  be  good  reason 
for  hoping  that  her  great  presence  of  mind  might  yet 
preserve  her  from  the  threatened  danger;  for  she  was 
now  only  a  few  rods  from  the  house,  the  dog's  teeth 
were  still  fast  in  the  bag  of  books,  and  his  pursuers, 
led  by  Mr.  Freeland,  were  close  upon  him.  But,  with 
a  sudden  effort,  he  extricated  his  poisonous  fangs  from 
their  confinement,  and  started  off  again  in  hot  pursuit 
of  the  child,  as  if  nothing  short  of  lacerating  human 
flesh  would  appease  his  terrible  madness.  Still,  there 
was  hope.  The  foremost  girl  had  reached  and  entered 
the  gateway  leading  to  the  house,  the  next  one  was 
already  at  the  entrance,  and  Jenny  had  only  a  step 
or  two  more  to  take,  while  the  dog  was  yet  some  few 
rods  distant. 

"  Run,  Jenny  —  run  for  your  •  life !  "  again  shouted 
Mr.  Freeland.     "  A  moment  more,  and  you'll  be  safe  ! " 

But  danger  was  not  yet  at  an  end;  for  Lizzy  Hall, 
the. girl  younger  than  Jenny,  had  run,  in  her  alarm, 
straight  past  the  small  open  gate,  and  was  pushing  at 
the  large  one,  which,  being  closed,  was  too  heavy  to 
yield  to  her  slight  strength.  Jenny  had  reached  the 
open   gate,  and  safety  lay  before  her.     But  no;   she 


70  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

was  of  a  nature  far  too  kind  and  noble  to  allow  of 
her  leaving  a  companion  younger  than  herself  exposed 
to  such  fearful  danger ! 

"  Here  !  Lizzy !  run  back  to  this  gate  in  a  moment ! " 
cried  Jenny. 

But  Lizzy  gave  no  heed  to  the  word.  Quick  aa 
thought  Jenny  sprang  forward,  seized  her  companion 
by  the  arm,  forcibly  drew  her  back,  and  pushed  her 
through  the  partially-open  gate ;  but,  before  she  could 
follow,  the  larger  girl,  who  had  hold  of  the  gate  inside, 
in  her  fright  and  haste,  slammed  it  to  with  all  her 
strength  —  leaving  Jenny  still  on  the  outside !  She 
instantly  saw  her  mistake,  and  endeavored  to  rectify 
it;  but  the  gate  held  so  fast  at  the  bottom  that  she 
was  unable  to  reopen  it  The  dog  was  now  fearfully 
near  to  Jenny ;  and  her  father,  still  too  far  off  to  be  of 
any  assistance,  with  heart-rending  anguish  exclaimed, — 

*  Lost !  lost !  O  my  child ! "  He  was  seized  with  a 
deathly  faintness,  and  would  have  fallen  to  the  ground, 
had  he  not  been  supported  by  those  near  at  hand. 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  71 


CHAPTER    IX. 


THE   RESCUE. 


Hark  !  A  shout  of  encouragement  strikes  the  ear 
from  another  quarter,  and  a  stout  boy,  without  hat  or 
jacket,  and  with  shirt  sleeves  rolled  above  his  elbows, 
clears  the  board  fence  on  the  other  side  of  the  street 
at  a  single  bound,  nearly  opposite  to  Jenny,  and  makes 
his  way  with  almost  incredible  speed  towards  her.  He 
has  no  weapon-  in  his  hand,  but  he  carries  firmness  and 
determination  on  his  brow. 

"  Fly,  Jenny  ! "  he  loudly  cried,  as  he  ran.  "  Fly, 
for  dear  life,  up  the  street,  and  I'll  head  the  dog  off!" 

She  heard  the  cry,  and  was  off  in  a  moment.  All 
eyes  were  now  turned  towards  the  boy.  Mr.  Freeland, 
who  had  revived  at  the  first  sound  of  encouragement, 
held  his  breath  during  that  moment  of  awful  suspense, 
for  the  chances  seemed  about  equal  between  the  boy 
and  the  dog,  as  to  which  would  first  reach  the  fleeing 
child. 

The  rabid  animal  was  now  within  three  or  four  feet 


72  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

of  Jenny,  and  all  shuddered  lest  they  might  hear, 
the  next  instant,  her  cry  of  anguish  as  the  dreaded 
brute  should  fasten  his  teeth  in  her  flesh.  But  the 
boy,  who  had  strained  every  nerve  in  his  body  to  its 
utmost  tension,  at  this  moment  made  a  nimble  spring 
from  the  side  of  the  street,  and  struck  the  dog  with 
both  feet  square  upon  his  shoulder,  driving  him  with 
stunning  force  against  the  stone  wall.  Jenny,  at  the 
same  instant,  stumbled  and  fell;  but  the  lad,  quick  as 
thought,  caught  her  under  the  arms,  and  placed  her  in 
safety  upon  the  square-topped  wall;  and  then,  before 
the  dog  had  fairly  recovered  his  feet,  he  seized  him 
by  the  hind  legs,  swung  him  rapidly  in  a  circle  in  the 
air,  and  brought  his  head  down  with  such  crushing 
force  against  a  large  stone  as  to  deprive  him  almost 
instantly  of  life. 

As  the  pursuers  reached  the  spot,  one  after  another, 
their  attention  was  directed  first  to  the  dog,  as  no  one 
supposed  that  the  single  blow  had  killed  him ;  but  as 
they  looked  upon  the  crushed  head  of  the  fearful  brute, 
and  saw  the  blood-bespattered  hands  and  arms  of  Bill 
Brown,  —  for  it  was  he  who  had  performed  the  daring 
deed,  —  they  were  convinced  that  the  work  had  been 
done  faithfully,  and  with  a  will. 

Mr.  Freeland's  first  act  was,  of  course,  to  catch  his 
daughter  up  in  his  arms,  and  press  her  to  his  heart. 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  73 

"  0,  my  dear,  dear  child !  have  you  eseaped  without 
injury  ? "  he  asked,  excitedly. 

"  Yes,  dear  father,  we  are  all  safe,"  replied  Jenny, 
as  she  imprinted  on  his  cheek  an  affectionate  kiss ; 
and  the  emphasis  she  placed  upon  the  word  all  was 
good  evidence  that  her  heart  was  entirely  free  of  any 
thing  like  selfishness,  notwithstanding  the  excitement 
and  danger  she  had  just  passed  through.  But  words 
were  not  required  in  proof  of  this  fact,  after  her  truly 
noble  conduct  in  rescuing  her  little  companion,  at  the 
imminent  peril  of  her  own  safety. 

"  Ah,  Jenny,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  "  I  stand  reproved 
by  your  gentle  words ;  for  in  my  great  anxiety  for  your 
safety  I  did  forget  that  others  were  exposed  to  like 
danger  with  yourself.  Heaven  be  praised  that  all  are 
safe ! " 

Bill  Brown  was  at  once  surrounded  by  an  excited 
group  of  men  and  boys,  all  anxious  to  ask  questions 
of  him,  and  to  bestow  -upon  him  commendations  for 
his  bravery  and  success.  Mr.  Freeland,  as  soon  as 
he  had  satisfied  himself  of  Jenny's  safety,  turned  his 
attention  to  her  preserver.  Cordially  grasping  Bill's 
hand,  he  exclaimed, — 

"  My  brave  fellow,  you  have  done  a  noble  deed,  and 
placed  me  under  deep  and  lasting  obligations  to  you. 
You  have  saved  my  dear  child  from  certain  injury,  and 
7 


74  FRED    FREELAND,   OR 

from  a  probable  death  the  most  horrible  to  think  of, 
and  the  most  agonizing  to  realize.  You  shall  have  no 
cause  to  regret  what  you  have  done  this  day;  and  I 
am  much  gratified  that  so  many  of  our  good  people 
have  witnessed  your  commendable  act.  If  you  but 
continue  to  do  as  well  on  all  occasions,  you  will  soon 
have  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  yourself  rapidly  rise  in 
the  estimation  of  all  around  you,  while  the  approval 
of  your  own  conscience  will  be  a  continual  source  of 
happiness  to  you.  I  have  passed  through  too  great 
excitement  to  allow  of  my  saying  more  to  you  at  the 
present  time.  Good  evening,  William,  and  may  God 
bless  you ! " 

"  Good  night,  sir,"  said  Bill,  very  respectfully. 

At  this  moment  Fred  arrived,  with  a  number  of  his 
schoolfellows,  and  his  father  turned  to  him  and  said,  — 

"  My  son,  some  of  the  kind  folks  here  will  explain 
to  you  all  that  has  happened.  I  must  hasten  home 
with  Jenny,  before  your  aunt -becomes  alarmed  at  her 
absence." 

A  number  of  the  boys,  as  is  apt  to  be  the  case  on 
such  occasions,  commenced  at  the  same  moment  to 
enlighten  Fred  with  regard  to  the  exciting  scene  that 
had  just  closed,  so  that  he  soon  became  acquainted  with 
the  main  facts,  although  he  might  not  have  understood 
the  details. 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  75 

"  Come,  Jenny,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  "  let  us  hasten 
home.  You  had  better  ask  Jane  and  Lizzy  to  walk 
along  with  us,  and  I  will  stop  a  moment  and  explain 
matters  to  their  folks  as  we  pass." 

"  Yes,  father,  in  a  minute ; "  and  Jenny  hastily  ran 
to  Bill  Brown,  saying,  as  she  gently  took  one  of  his 
hands  in  both  of  her  own,  — 

"  Stoop  down  a  moment,  William ;  I  want  to  thank 
you  now,  and  I  don't  wish  any  body  to  hear  what  I 
say." 

Now,  Bill's  mind  had  been  in  a  state  of  complete 
bewilderment  from  the  instant  he  laid  the  dog  dead 
at  his  feet.  The  occurrences  of  the  last  few  minutes 
had  been  of  a  character  so  unusual,  had  passed  with 
such  rapidity,  and  the  result  had  placed  him  in  a 
position  differing  so  widely  from  any  he  ever  before 
occupied,  that  he  could  scarcely  realize  it  was  not  all 
a  dream.  However,  Jenny's  pleasant  words  at  once 
aroused  him  from  his  dream-like  state,  and  he  recalled 
to  mind  his  promise  to  her  a  week  previous  —  "If  erer 
I  can  do  you  a  good  turn  in  any  way,  my  little  girl, 
I'll  be  sure  to  be  on  hand."  How  soon  an  occasion 
had  offered  for  the  "good  turn"!  With  this  thought 
uppermost,  he  stooped  over  Jenny  as  requested.  She 
instantly  gave  him  a  hearty  kiss  on  one  cheek,  and 
laugliingly  said, — 


76  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

"  There  —  I  don't  know  how  to  thank  you  in  any 
other  way;  but  that  kiss  means  as  much  as  all  the 
good  words  in  my  dictionary,  which  the  dog  just  now 
tried  to  swallow." 

Before  Bill  could  recover  from  his  surprise  Jenny 
had  joined  the  other  girls,  and,  with  her  father,  was 
on  her  way  up  the  street.  He  looked  earnestly  after 
her  a  moment,  and  something  like  a  tear  stole  down 
his  cheek.  Possibly,  it  was  a  drop  of  perspiration ; 
but  those  nearest  him,  among  whom  was  Fred,  decided 
that  it  was  A  tear.  Ah,  yes ;  the  cold,  hardened, 
obdurate  nature  of  that  rough  boy  —  one  so  stubborn 
that  all  the  harsh  treatment  of  an  entire  community 
could  not  extort  a  complaint  from,  much  less  draw 
forth  a  tear  —  had  been  warmed,  softened,  subdued,  by 
the  gentle  influence  imparted  by  that  innocent  child's 
lips.  O,  little  girl  reader,  you  can  be  an  angel  on 
earth  if  you  will! 

Desirous  of  escaping  the  praises  which  were  being 
bestowed  upon  him  from  all  quarters,  —  truly,  a  strange 
state  of  things  with  him,  —  Bill  requested  Fred  to  go 
with  him  to  a  gentleman's  house  near  by,  where  he 
had  been  at  Avork  piling  up  wood,  and  where,  most 
fortunately,  he  heard  the  alarm  just  in  time  to  rescue 
Jenny  from  her  perilous  situation. 

As  soon  as  Fred  and  Bill  were  by  themselves,  the 


THE    CIIAIX    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  77 

former  gave  full  scope  to  his  heart-felt  thanks  for  the 
courageous  deed  of  his  companion  which  had  resulted 
in  his  sister's  safety. 

"  O,  don't  name  it,"  said  Bill.  "  It's  nothiii'  to  what 
you  and  Jenny  have  done  for  me.  A  week  ago  I  was 
jist  about  as  bad  as  a  mad  dog  myself;  and  if  I  ain't 
quite  so  bad  now,  it's  all  owin'  to  you." 

"  "We  won't  say  any  thing  about  what  you  have  been, 
Bill,  but  what  you  are  going  to  be  in  future,"  replied 
Fred. 

"  If  I  ever  be  a  better  boy,  I  must  thank  you  and 
Jenny  for  it;  for  you  first  told  me  how  to  begin  to 
do  right  —  and  I'm  goin'  to  try  to  keep  on." 

"That's  the  way  to  talk,  Bill.  You  have  made  a 
first-rate  beginning  already ;  and  my  father  is  not  the 
man  to  forget  what  you  have  just  now  done.  Only 
stick  to  your  determination  to  do  right,  and  he  will 
befriend  you.  I  think  you  had  better  give  up  your 
idea  now  about  the  fishing  cruise  that  you  have  been 
thinking  of,  for  I  know  father  will  assist  you  in  getting 
some  good  place  on  shore,  and  that  will  be  much  better 
than  to  go  to  sea." 

"  I  know,  Fred,  you  wouldn't  want  me  to  do  nothin' 

but  what's  best;  but  I  hope  you  won't  say  nothin'  aginst 

my  goin'  a-fishin',  'cause  I've  made  up  my  mind  to  go. 

I  can't  trust  myself  yet  to  stay  here.     Besides,  Sam 

7* 


78  FRED    FREE  LAND,    OR 

Jones  got  a  letter  yesterday  from  his  friend  down  to 
Hooksink,  sayin'  as  how  he  had  got  a  chance  for  me 
in  the  schooner  Sea  Gull,  Captain  Bruce,  and  that  I 
must  be  there  in  a  week.  Now,  mother's  willin',  at 
last,  and  I  hope  you'll  think  it's  best  for  me  to  go,  for 
I  don't  want  to  do  any  thing  aginst  your  will." 

"  Well,  Billj  I'll  see  you  again  about  this  after  I  talk 
with  father.  I  know  he  will  Avish  to  do  something  for 
you." 

"  You  can  tell  him,  Fred,  how  much  I  want  to  go, 
and  then  I  guess  he  won't  object.  I'd  ruther  he'd  be 
willin'." 

.  "  Well,  I'll  talk  with  father,  and  let  you  know  what 
he  says.  But  I  think  I  must  run  home  now,  to  see 
how  Jenny  feels  after  her  fright.     So  good  by,  Bill." 

"  Good  by,  Fred.  I've  got  a  little  more  wood  to 
pile,  and  then  I'm  goin'  home  myself." 

The  conversation  among  the  men  and  boys  in  the 
street  was  kept  up  some  time  after  Fred  and  Bill  left 
them,  and  high  praise  was  bestowed  on  the  latter  for 
his  bravery.  But  the  noble  conduct  of  Jenny  towards 
her  little  companion  seemed  to  fill  the  breasts  of  all 
present  with  the  deepest  admiration.  Mingled  with  the 
throng  were  several  of  the  boys  whom  the  reader  has 
met  on  a  former  occasion. 

"  I  say,  Charley,  did  you  see  that  little  Jenny  when 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  79 

she  saved  Lizzy  Hall  from  the  dog  ?  "  inquired  Edward 
Flye. 

"No,"  replied  Charles  Hay  ward;  "that  took  place 
just  before  I  got  here.  Jenny  Freeland  is  a  smart 
little  girl,  I  tell  you,  Ned." 

"  Yes,  that  she  is,"  responded  the  other ;  "  but  who , 
would  have  thought  that  she'd  have  kissed  Bill  Brown, 
as  she  did,  right  before  all  hands  ? " 

H  Just  like  her,  exactly,"  answered  Charles.  "  She 
is  always  doing  or  saying  something  that  nobody  else 
would  think  of;  and  yet  she  seldom  seems  to  do  any 
thing  wrong." 

"Just  so,"  rejoined  Edward. 

"  By  the  way,  Ned,"  said  Charles,  with  enthusiasm, 
"  I  think  Bill  did  nobly  in  rescuing  Jenny,  and  I  am 
willing,  for  one,  to  cross  out  a  good  deal  I  had  charged 
to  his  account." 

"  Ditto,"  promptly  responded  Ned.  "  What  say  you, 
Little  Stubby?" 

"  Why,  you  see,"  replied  John,  "  I'm  almost  sorry  I 
threatened  to  flog  Bill  when  I  get  large  enough;  but 
I  don't  think  I  can  take  it  back  yet.  I  guess  he'll 
have  to  kill  one  more  mad  dog,  and  get  a  kiss  on 
t'other  cheek,  before  I'll  let  him  off." 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha ! "  roared  out  Laughing  Rol.  "  I  say, 
Stubby,  I  reckon  you'll  be  big  enough  to  whip  Bill 


80  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

Brown  just  about  the  time  I'm  made  president  of  the 
United  States." 

Upon  this,  the  youngsters  all  joined  in  a  hearty- 
laugh,  at  John  Steele's  expense.  He  readily  turned 
the  joke,  however,  by  saying, — 

"  Laugh  away,  boys ;  but  it  isn't  impossible  that  I 
may  vote  for  Rol  and  flog  Bill  all  on  the  same  day ! " 

At  this  moment  a  man  came  and  took  away  the  dead 
dog  in  a  wheelbarrow,  which  seemed  to  be  the  signal 
for  a  general  dispersion  of  the  crowd;  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  street  was  wholly  deserted,  and  the  usual 
quiet  of  the  neighborhood  restored. 


TIIE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  81 


CHAPTER    X. 

BILL   BROWN'S   PRESENTS. 

During  the  week  succeeding  the  incidents  related 
in  the  last  chapter,  Mr.  Frecland  spoke  to  Fred  several 
times  with  regard  to  Bill  Brown  and  his  future  welfare. 
He  also  called  to  see  Mrs.  Brown  with  reference  to  the 
same  subject.  Finally,  after  the  matter  had  been  fully 
discussed,  that  gentleman  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
it  would  be  for  the  best  to  let  Bill  try  his  fortune  on  a 
fishing  cruise.  Nothing  short  of  actual  experience,  he 
believed,  would  satisfy  the  boy's  mind.  He  remarked 
to  Mrs.  Brown  that  one  trial  would  probably  be  quite 
sufficient  to  convince  her  son  that  a  life  on  shore  has 
many  advantages  over  that  of  a  sailor.  He  gave  her 
to  understand  that  if  Bill  returned,  satisfied  to  remain 
at  home,  he  would  endeavor  to  procure  for  him  a  place 
to  learn  some  good  mechanical  business.  The  widow 
expressed  her  thanks  to  Mr.  Freeland  for  the  interest 
he  was  taking  in  her  boy,  and  the  matter  of  the  fishing 
trip  was  considered  as  settled. 

F 


82  ERED    FREELAND,    OR 

"  Fred,  do  you  know  how  soon  Bill  Brown  is  to  start 
for  Hooksink  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Freeland,  one  morning,  a 
day  or  two  after  his  conversation  with  Mrs.  Brown  on 
the  subject. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Fred.  "  He  told  me  last  evening 
that  he  should  go  this  afternoon.  He  said  he  should 
take  a  second-class  car,  to  save  expense." 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  he  thought  of  going  quite  so 
soon,"  said  Mr.  Freeland.  "  If  such  is  the  case,  there 
is  a  little  matter  I  want  you  to  attend  to  at  once." 

"  I'm  all  ready,"  said  Fred,  wondering  what  it  could 
be  that  his  father  was  about  to  engage  his  services  in. 

Mr.  Freeland  brought  forward  his  pocket  book,  and 
selected  three  five-dollar  bank  bills,  which  he  handed 
to  Fred,  saying, — 

"  I  wish  you  to  take  this  money  to  Bill,  as  a  present 
from  me.  Probably  there  are  some  things  in  the  way 
of  clothing,  very  necessary  to  his  comfort  on  board  the 
vessel,  which  he  has  not  the  means  of  obtaining.  This 
will  assist  him.  Tell  him  not  to  trouble  himself  about 
his  mother  during  his  absence,  for  I  will  see  that  she 
wants  for  nothing.  Bid  him  good  by  for  me,  and  say 
that  iny  best  wishes  attend  him." 

"  O  father ! "  exclaimed  Jenny,  whose  eyes  and  ears 
were  ever  open  to  all  that  was  transpiring  around  her, 
"  I  am  so  glad  you  are  going  to  send  some  money  to 


TIIE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  83 

William  Brown  !  I  have  been  trying  all  the  week  to 
think  of  something  to  give  him  before  he  goes  awav. 
And  now,  father,  if  you  are  willing,  I  will  send  him 
a  little  book  I  have,  called  The  Reformed  Boy" 

"  I  am  not  only  perfectly  willing  you  should  give  it 
to  him,"  replied  Mr.  Freeland,  "  but  I  highly  approve 
of  your  scheme,  and  hope  he  will  derive  much  benefit 
from  the  book." 

Fred  was  soon  on  his  way  to  Mrs.  Brown's,  having 
hurried  off  at  once,  with  the  intention  of  returning 
before  it  was  time  for  his  father  to  leave  home  for 
the  city.  As  he  entered  the  little  yard,  he  saw  Bill's 
mother  standing  in  the  doorway. 

"  Good  morning,  Mrs.  Brown,"  said  Fred,  pleasantly. 
"  Is  William  at  home  ?  " 

"  Good  morning,  Fred,"  replied  the  poor  woman,  as 
she  cordially  grasped  his  hand.  "  Walk  in,  and  take 
a  chair.  William  has  just  gone  out  to  the  store,  and 
will  be  back  in  a  minute  or  two.  O  dear!  my  poor 
boy  is  going  away  to-day,  Fred,  and  you  can't  think 
how  badly  I  feel  about  it!" 

"  Yes ;  I  suppose  you  will  feel  pretty  lonesome,"  said 
Fred.  "  But  all  his  friends  seem  to  think  it  is  best 
(or  him  to  go,  as  he  has  set  his  mind  so  fully  upon 
it ;  and  we  must  hope  that  every  thing  will  come  out 
right  at  last,  Mrs.  Brown." 


84  FRED   FREELAXD,    OR 

Further  conversation  was  here  interrupted  by  the 
entrance  of  Bill,  who,  the  moment  he  saw  his  young 
friend,  cried  out, — 

"  Ah,  Fred,  how  are  you  ?  You've  taken  an  early 
start  this  morning." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Fred ;  "  I  had  to  come  this  way  on 
some  business  for  father,  and  Jenny  took  a  notion  to 
send  you  this  book,  Bill,  which  she  wants  you  to  keep 
to  remember  her  by.  She  thought  you  might  like  it 
to  read  on  board  the  vessel." 

"  O,  yes,  I  should,"  said  Bill,  very  much  pleased,  as 
he  received  the  present  from  Fred's  hands.  "I  didn't 
need  nothin'  to  make  me  remember  her;  but  I  thank 
her  very  much  for  the  book,  and  shall  take  it  with 
me.  I  can't  read  very  well  now,  but  I  mean  to  be 
able  to  read  better  before  long." 

"  That's  a  good  resolution,  my  son,"  said  Mrs.  Brown, 
"and  I  hope  you  will  do  as  you  say.  I,  also,  thank 
Jenny  very  much  for  this  excellent  book." 

"  And  here,"  said  Fred,  as  he  took  the  money  from 
his  pocket  and  placed  it  in  Bill's  hand,  "  is  a  present 
from  my  father.  He  thought  you  might  need  some 
articles  of  clothing  more  than  you  could  conveniently 
get,  and  that  this  amount  would  be  of  assistance  to 
you  in  that  respect." 

"  Three  five-dollar  bills  —  fifteen  dollars  —  and  all 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  85 

for  me  ! "  exclaimed  Bill,  as  he  turned  the  money  in 
his  hand.     "  O  Fred !  you're  jokin'  —  I  know  you  be." 

"  iSo,  I  am  not,"  said  Fred ;  "  the  money  is  all  for 
you.  Father  told  me  to  bid  you  good  by  for  him,  as 
he  could  not  make  it  convenient  to  see  you  again,  and 
to  say  that  you  had  his  very  best  -wishes." 

"  0,  I  thank  him,  Fred  !  But  all  this  money  —  I 
can't  keep  it  —  I  hadn't  ought  to." 

"  He  don't  want  you  to  keep  it,"  said  Fred,  in  a 
joking  manner.  "  He  wants  you  to  spend  it  for  any 
thing  you  really  need.  My  father  don't  do  things 
hastily,  Bill ;  and,  depend  upon  it,  you  will  please  him 
best  by  accepting  this  money,  and  making  a  good  use 
of  it." 

"  Well,  I  have  thought  I  should  like  a  good  thick 
coat  for  stormy  weather,"  said  Bill ;  "  but  knowin'  I 
couldn't  afford  it,  I  didn't  say  nothin'  to  mother  about 
it.  Now,  Fred,  as  your  father  has  been  so  gen'rous, 
I'll  take  five  dollars  of  this  money  and  buy  me  a  coat, 
and  then  I  shall  have  every  thing  I  want.  And  here, 
mother,"  continued  Bill,  handing  the  remainder  of  the 
money  towards  her,  "you  take  this  other  ten  to  help 
you  along  while  I'm  gone." 

"  O,  no,  my  son,"  replied  Mrs.  Brown ;   "  it  is  all 
yours  —  keep  it.     I  shall  get  along  nicely  if  I  only 
have  my  health." 
8 


86  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

"0,  I  forgot!"  said  Fred,  quickly.  "Father  rays 
you  need  not  be  uneasy  about  your  mother  while  you 
are  gone,  Bill,  as  he  will  see  that  she  don't  want  for 
any  thing." 

"  Your  father  is  very  good,"  replied  Bill,  feelingly ; 
"  but  you  know  I  ought  to  do  all  I  can.  Now,  mother," 
he  continued,  "  you  say  this  money  is  all  mine.  Well, 
then,  I  s'pose  I've  a  right  to  do  what  I'm  a  mind  to 
with  it;  so  I'll  jist  give  it  to  you.  There,  Fred,  hain't 
I  got  the  best  of  the  arg'ment  ?  "  Bill  asked,  appealing 
to  his  young  friend. 

"I don't  see  but  that  your  mother  will  have  to  give 
in  to  you,"  said  Fred,  not  a  little  gratified  at  Bill's 
sensible  and  dutiful  conduct  on  the  occasion. 

"  Well,  I  will  take  the  money,"  said  Mrs.  Brown ; 
"  but  I  hope,  Fred,  I  shall  have  no  occasion  to  use 
it,  nor  to  call  on  your  kind  father  for  assistance,  while 
William  is  gone." 

The  money  matter  having  been  thus  settled,  Bill 
asked  Fred  if  he  would  accompany  him  to  the  city 
after  dinner,  as  he  wished  to  have  his  advice  in  the 
selection  of  a  coat.  A  neighbor  had  offered  to  take 
his  chest  to  the  depot  for  him,  so  he  would  have  no 
trouble  about  that. 

Fred  replied,  that  he  could  go  just  as  well  as  not ; 
for  his  father  wished  him  to  be  at  his  counting  room 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  87 

at  four  o'clock,  and  they  would  have  time  enough  to 
purchase  the  coat  before  that  hour. 

Fred  reached  home  just  as  his  father  was  leaving 
to  go  to  his  business,  when  he  briefly  informed  him 
of  the  praiseworthy  manner  in  which  Bill  accepted 
the  presents.  Mr.  Freeland  was  much  pleased  with 
the  good  report,  and  remarked  that  he  thought  the  boy 
would  yet  make  a  respectable  man. 

Jenny  was  highly  gratified  to  hear  of  the  reception 
her  book  met  with ;  and  she  went  to  her  school  that 
morning  happier  than  usual  —  school  and  happiness 
ever  being  intimately  associated  in  her  thoughts.  Even 
her  narrow  escape  from  the  mad  dog  did  not  start  in 
her  mind  a  single  objection  to  proceeding  to  school  as 
usual  the  very  next  morning  after  that  event. 


88  FRED   PRE ELAND,   OR 


CHAPTER    XI. 


THE   ARREST. 


Directly  after  dinner,  there  being  no  school  in  the 
afternoon,  as  it  was  Saturday,  Fred  called  for  Bill 
Brown,  according  to  agreement.  He  declined  going 
into  the  house,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  be  a  witness  to 
the  parting  scene  between  Mrs.  Brown  and  her  son. 
Therefore  he  walked  slowly  along  to  the  corner  of  the 
street,  where  he  was  soon  joined  by  his  companion,  and 
the  two  immediately  proceeded  on  their  way  towards 
Boston.  Bill  was  somewhat  down  hearted  at  first,  and 
they  walked  on  a  little  distance  in  silence. 

"  Mother  feels  very  bad  about  my  goin'  away,"  said 
Bill,  at  length.  "  I  hope  she  won't  fret  about  me  all 
the  time  I'm  gone.     Do  you  b'lieve  she  will,  Fred?" 

"0,  no,  I  guess  not,  Bill.  She'll  miss  you  a  great 
deal,  of  course ;  but  time  soon  slips  away,  and  in  a 
little  while  she'll  begin  to  think  how  happy  she  shall 
be  when  you  get  home  again." 

"  I  hope,  so,  Fred ;  and  I  mean  to  try  hard  to  behave 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  89 

so  well  that  she'll  always  be  glad  to  have  me  come 
home." 

"That's  right,  Bill.  Only  stick  to  that  resolution, 
and  there  will  be  many  besides  your  mother  glad  to 
see  you  come  home.  But  here  is  the  coach,  and  we 
had  better  jump  in,"  continued  Fred,  looking  behind 
them.  "  I  guess  I  can  afford  to  give  you  a  ride  to 
Boston." 

"I'd  jist  as  lives  walk,"  replied  Bill,  "if  we've  got 
time  enough ;  without  you'd  ruther  ride." 

"I  think  we  had  better  ride,"  rejoined  Fred,  as  he 
made  a  signal  to  the  driver  to  stop;  "that  is,  unless 
you  have  come  to  Major  Kimball's  conclusion  —  that 
riding  in  an  omnibus  to  save  time  is  '  all  imagination.' " 

Bill  laughed,  but  made  no  further  objection,  and  the 
two  boys  took  their  seats  in  the  coach,  which  rattled 
on  again  towards  the  city.  . 

When  the  omnibus  had  reached  the  end  of  its  route, 
Fred  and  Bill  proceeded,  without  delay,  to  the  large 
clothing  establishment  of  Messrs.  Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co., 
near  at  hand,  where,  it  was  thought,  a  good  bargain 
could  be  made,  as  they  advertised  "large  sales  and 
small  profits." 

They  soon  entered  the  store,  and  Bill  was  not  long 
in  selecting,  with  Fred's  advice,  such  a  garment  as  he 
thought  would  answer  his  purpose  very  well,  and  for 
8* 


90  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

which  he  was  to  pay  four  dollars  and  fifty  cents  — 
thus  leaving  a  half  dollar  to  add  to  his  small  amount 
of  cash  for  incidental  expenses. 

The  salesman  put  the  coat  in  a  wrapper,  handed  it 
to  the  purchaser,  and  received  from  him  a  five-dollar 
bill,  with  which  he  stepped  to  the  desk,  where  Mr. 
Slash  himself  had  charge  of  the  cash  business.  Fred 
suggested  to  his  companion  the  propriety  of  taking  a 
bill  of  the  coat,  remarking  that  his  father  said  such  a 
course  was  always  best,  if  for  no  other  object  than  to 
assist  in  forming  correct  business  habits. 

The  two  boys  had  followed  the  salesman  a  few  steps 
towards  the  desk,  when  Bill  suddenly  recollected  that 
his  mother  wished  him  to  deliver  a  message,  concerning 
some  work,  to  a  lady  residing  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
State  House.  Communicating  this  fact  to  Fred,  he 
asked  him  to  take  the  coat,  and,  when  Mr.  Slash  had 
made  out  the  bill  and  given  him  the  change,  meet 
him  at  the  corner  of  School  and  "Washington  Streets, 
as  he  was  afraid  he  should  not  have  time  to  do  the 
errand  if  he  waited  any  longer.  Fred  readily  assented, 
and  Bill  started  off  upon  the  run. 

As  Bill  left  the  store,  Fred  presented  himself  at 
Mr.  Slash's  desk.  Just  at  this  moment  a  railroad 
expressman  entered  with  a  letter,  and  said, — 

"  Mr.  Slash,  please  see  if  that  is  all  right,  and  give 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  91 

me  a  receipt.  I'm  in  a  great  hurry.  Will  you  attend 
to  it  at  once?"  ^ 

Mr.  Slash  immediately  opened  the  envelope,  and 
took  therefrom  a  handful  of  bank  bills,  saying  to  Fred, 
as  he  did  so,  "  I'll  attend  to  you  in  a  moment."  After 
hastily  running  his  eye  over  the  brief  communication, 
he  rapidly  counted  the  money,  arid  said,  "All  right — 
two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars."  Then,  thrusting  the 
bills  back  into  the  envelope,  he  carelessly  left  all  lying 
on  his  desk,  and  proceeded  to  write  the  receipt. 

The  expressman  took  his  receipt  and  departed,  and 
Mr.  Slash  at  once  turned  his  attention  to  making  out 
the  bill  of  the  coat.  As  Fred  stood  waiting,  his  eye 
rested  on  the  superscription  of  the  envelope  containing 
the  money,  as  it  lay  on  the  desk,  and  its  execution 
was  so  very  beautiful  that  he  could  not  refrain  from 
a  nearer  examination.  As  the  object  of  his  curiosity 
was  quite  within  his  reach,  he  at  once  extended  his 
hand,  without  thinking  of  the  impropriety  of  such  an 
act,  and  raised  it  upon  its  edge,  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  a  better  view  of  the  beautiful  chirography. 
It  was  really  a  masterpiece  of  penmanship,  and  Fred 
was  a  great  admirer  of  any  thing  above  the  common 
standard.  In  a  moment,  however,  he  was  sensible  that 
he  had  fallen  into  his  old  fault,  and,  coloring  deeply,  he 
instantly  replaced  the  envelope  —  thinking  how  much 


92  FRED   FREELAXD,    OR 

the  knowledge  of  his  thoughtless  officiousne»3  would 
have  pained  his  father.  Fortunately,  Mr.  Slash  was 
so  busily  engaged  with  his  pen  that  he  did  not  notice 
the  movement ;  for  this,  Fred  was  truly  thankful ;  and 
having  received  the  bill  of  the  coat,  with  the  change, 
he  hastened  up  the  street  to  meet  his  companion  — 
fully  resolved  that  his  curiosity  should  not  again  lead 
him  into  a  similar  impropriety. 

As  Fred  reached  the  place  agreed  upon,  he  saw  Bill 
coming  down  School  Street  on  the  run.  He  had  made 
all  possible  haste,  so  that  his  young  friend  should  not 
be  kept  waiting. 

"  Have  you  been  here  long,  Fred  ? "  inquired  Bill, 
wiping  the  perspiration  from  his  forehead. 

"  No ;  I  have  this  moment  come  ; "  and  he  placed 
the  bundle,  with  the  receipt  and  change,  in  the  other's 
hand. 

"Can  you  go  to  the  railroad  with  me,  Fred?" 

"  I  think  not,  Bill ;  for  father  said  I  must  be  at  his 
store  by  four  o'clock,  or  a  little  after ;  and  you  see  by 
the  '  Old  South '  that  it's  almost  four  now." 

"  So  it  is ;  and  I  s'pose  I'd  best  be  gittin'  along  to 
the  depot.  I  shall  want  to  see  if  my  chist  is  there 
all  safe,  git  it  checked,  buy  my  ticket,  and  have  every 
thing  straight  in  good  season.  The  cars  start  at  five, 
you  know.    And  as  long  as  I  must  say  'good  by'  to 


THE    CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  93 

you,  Fred,"  —  and  he  grasped  his  companion's  hand, — 
"  I  s'pose  I  can  jist  as  well  say  it  here  as  any  where 
else." 

"Yes,  Bill,  I  suppose  we  must  part;  but  I  hope  it 
is  only  for  a  short  time,  and  that  when  we  meet  again 
w re  shall  both  be  able  to  say  that  we  have  tried  to  do 
our  duty;"  and  Fred  returned  the  warm  and  hearty 
pressure  which  the  other  was  bestowing  upon  his  hand. 

"  I  shall  try  to  do  mine,v  said  Bill ;  "  you  can  do 
yourn  without  tryin'  —  there's  the  difference." 

"  There's  where  you  are  mistaken,  Bill.  I  find  it 
pretty  hard  work,  at  times,  to  do  what's  right."  Fred 
was  thinking  of  the  envelope  he  had  just  previously 
meddled  with,  after  all  the  kindly  admonitions  from  his 
father  with  respect  to  faults  of  that  nature. 

"  I  only  wish  it  was  as  easy  for  me  as  it  is  for  you 
to  do  right,"  rejoined  Bill.  "But  mebbe  it  won't  be 
so  hard  one  of  these  days.  At  any  rate,  Fred,  I  want 
you  to  tell  mother  to  keep  up  good  courage,  for  she 
shan't  hear  nothin'  bad  about  me  while  I'm  gone.  And 
tell  Jenny  as  how  I  shall  read  that  book,  and  think 
of  her  kind  words,  very  often.  There,  I  ca'nt  say 
what  I  want  to,  but  I  b'lieve  I  feel  about  right.  So 
good  by,  Fred  —  I'm  off." 

"  Wait. a  moment,"  said  his  young  friend,  as  he  took 
a  silver  dollar  from  his  pocket.     "Here,  Bill,  I  don't 


94  FltED    FREKLAND,    OK 

like  the  idea  of  your  going  in  the  second-class  car. 
I  know  it  can't  be  an  easy  way  to  travel.  Besides, 
you  may  meet  with  disagreeable  company  there.  The 
difference  in  the  fare  is  less  than  a  dollar.  Take  this, 
and  go  in  a  first-class  car.  Don't  hesitate,  now,"  lie 
continued,  as  Bill  was  about  to  make  objection,  "  for 
it  is  my  own  spending  money,  and  it  will  make  me 
happy  to  have  you  take  it.  There,  good  by "  —  and 
he  forced  the  dollar  into  his  hand. 

*  Good  by,"  repeated  Bill,  with  some  emotion. 

The  "  Old  South "  clock  at  this  moment  struck  the 
hour  of  four,  and  the  two  lads  walked  away  in  different 
directions. 

The  most  direct  course  from  School  Street  to  Mr. 
Freeland's  place  of  business  lay  through  the  narrow 
thoroughfare  in  the  rear  of  the  establishment  of  Cutt, 
Slash,  &  Co.  Fred  was  hurrying  through  this  street, 
on  his  way  to  his  father's  store,  and  had  passed  half 
the  length  of  the  large  building  referred  to,  when  his 
attention  was  attracted  to  an  envelope  lying  on  the 
sidewalk,  lie  stooped  and  picked  it  up.  As  he  did 
so,  his  eye  rested  on  a  bank  bilk  a  few  feet  distant, 
which,  on  examination,  proved  to  be  three  dollars  of 
the  City  Bank,  Boston.  He  looked  more  particularly 
at  the  envelope,  and  what  was  his  surprise  to  see  that 
it  was   the  same  he   had  noticed    not   many  minutes 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  95 

earlier,  on  Mr.  Slash's  desk  !  Fred  considered  it  a 
somewhat  singular  circumstance,  and  was  not  long  in 
making  up  his  mind  to  enter  that  gentleman's  place 
at  once,  to  inquire  into  the  matter.  At  the  moment, 
however,  he  felt  a  slight  tap  on  his  shoulder,  and, 
turning  quickly,  saw  a  man  standing  by  his  side,  who 
said,  — 

"What  have  you  there,  my  lad?" 

"  I  have  just  found  a  bank  bill,  and  this  envelope 
lying  near  it,  here  in  the  street,"  replied  Fred.  "  Do 
you  know  of  any  one  who  has  lost  money,  sir  ? " 

"You  found  them,  did  you?" 

"Yes,  sir;  I  just  this  moment  picked  them  up  on 
the  sidewalk,"  answered  Fred,  not  knowing  what  to 
make  of  the  stranger's  manner  of  addressing  him. 

"Well,  youngster,  I  guess  I  shall  have  to  pick  you 
up,  till  we  find  out  something  more  about  this  matter." 
Saying  which,  the  man  took  a  firm  grasp  of  our  young 
hero's  arm. 

"'Hands  off!'"  exclaimed  Fred.  At  the  moment, 
however,  he  caught  sight  of  a  "badge"  on  the  man's 
breast,  and  the  thought  flashed  upon. him  that  he  was 
a  police  officer.  An  invisible  shudder  passed  through 
his  frame,  and  a  sort  of  bewilderment  seized  upon  his 
brain,  as  he  stood  regarding  the  officer  in  silence.  But 
his   tremor  and  confusion  were  so  momentary  as  not 


96  FRED    EREELAXD,    OR 

to  be  observed,  for  his  own  conscious  innocence  at  once 
raised  him  above  all  fear.  There  were  few  persons 
in  the  street  at  the  time,  and  no  one  as  yet  had  noticed 
the  arrest. 

"Please,  sir,  let  go  my  arm,"  said  Fred,  "-and  tell 
me  what  you  want." 

*  I  don't  know  about  letting  go  your  arm,"  replied 
the  officer.  "  Perhaps  you  might  run  if  I  did  so.  I'll 
take  those  '  documents,'  if  you  please."  Saying  which, 
he  took  the  money  and  envelope  from  Fred's  hand. 

"  '  Run  '  ?  "  repeated  our  young  friend,  indignantly. 
"  Would  you  insinuate  that  I  have  been  guilty  of  any 
crime  ?  " 

"  0,  no,"  answered  the  officer ;  "  I  insinuate  nothing. 
You  look  like  an  honest  boy,  and  I  hope  you'll  be  able 
to  explain  matters  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned ; 
but  circumstances  seem  to  be  somewhat  against  you. 
I  want  you  to  go  with  me.  Messrs.  Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co. 
have  lost  some  money." 

As  the  officer  pronounced  the  last  sentence,  he  eyed 
Fred  sharply  in  the  face;  but  he  could  not  detect  the 
slightest  change  of  countenance. 

"  I  am  ready  to  go,"  said  Fred,  unhesitatingly.  "  I 
had  made  up  my  mind  to  do  so  at  the  very  moment 
you  first  spoke  to  me.  But,  sir,  won't  you  let  go  my 
arm?     You  may  trust  me." 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  97 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  may  trust  you,"  replied  the  officer ; 
and  he  at  once  liberated  the  imprisoned  arm.  There 
was  that  in  the  appearance  of  the  lad  which  strongly 
favored  the  supposition  of  his  innocence. 

On  their  way  round  to  the  front  of  the  building 
Fred  gave  his  name  to  the  officer,  and  requested  that 
his  father  might  be  sent  for  without  delay.  As  they 
entered  the  premises,  one  of  the  clerks  was  overheard 
to  say  to  Mr.  Slash,  "That  is  the  very  boy."  This 
clerk  had  fiery-red  hair,  and  mustaches  of  the  same 
color ;  and  Fred  remembered  that  he  had  passed  near 
him  as  he  stood  waiting  at  the  desk  for  the  bill  of 
the  coat. 

The  officer  requested  Mr.  Slash  to  send  a  messenger 
for  Mr.  Freeland.  It  was  immediately  done.  Fred 
was  conducted,  in  the  mean  time,  to  the  back  part  of 
the  store,  and  thoroughly  searched;  but  nothing  was 
found  to  implicate  him  more  deeply.  The  officer  then 
suggested  the  propriety  of  waiting  for  the  boy's  father 
before  any  thing  more  was  done. 
9 


98  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 


CHAPTER    XII, 


THE    EXAMINATION. 


A  few  minutes  only  elapsed  before  Mr.  Freeland 
entered  the  store  of  Messrs.  Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co.  His 
countenance  was  marked  with  deep  solicitude.  Fred 
was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  O  father,"  said  he,  somewhat  agitated,  "  how  glad 
I  am  you  have  come !  I  don't  know  what  to  make 
of  this,  nor  of  what  I  am  accused ;  but  I  am  sure  I 
can  explain  every  thing  so  as  to  clear  myself  from  the 
least  suspicion." 

Poor  Fred !  how  little  was  he  aware  of  the  strength 
of  that  unyielding  chain  of  circumstances  with  which 
the  last  half  hour  had  sufficed  to  encircle  him ! 

"  I  have  not  the  least  doubt,  my  son,"  replied  Mr. 
Freeland,  "  of  your  entire  innocence  of  all  intention  to 
do  wrong,  whatever  the  nature  of  the  charge  preferred 
against  you." 

Mr.  Freeland  then,  inquired  of  Mr.  Slash  as  to  the 
nature  of  the  accusation  against  Fred.    That  gentleman 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  99 

at  once  informed  him  of  the  circumstance  of  the  money 
having  been  brought  in  by  the  expressman,  while  Fred 
was  at  the  desk.  He  stated,  furthermore,  that  some 
one  called  his  attention  off  at  the  moment  Fred  went 
out,  and  that,  probably,  five  minutes  passed  before  he 
recollected  that  he  had  not  taken  care  of  the  money. 
Upon  turning  to  his  desk,  the  envelope  and  its  contents 
were  missing.  Inquiry  was  immediately  made  of  all 
the  salesmen  present ;  but  no  light  was  thrown  on  the 
matter  until  Peter  Gammon,  who  was  up  stairs  at  the 
time,  came  down,  and  stated  that  as  he  was  going  up, 
some  ten  minutes  before,  he  saw  the  boy  who  was  then 
standing  at  the  desk  take  the  envelope  in  his  hand. 
He  thought  nothing  of  it  at  the  moment,  supposing  it 
was  merely  a  boyish  curiosity  that  prompted  the  act. 

"  Upon  hearing  this  statement  of  Gammon's,"  Mr. 
Slash  continued,  "suspicion  naturally  rested  on  the  lad; 
so  I  called  the  officer,  and  sent  him  in  pursuit." 

Peter  Gammon  was  the  young  man,  already  alluded 
to,  who  so  promptly  recognized  Fred  when  the  officer 
brought  hjm  in. 

"  Where  did  you  arrest  my  son  ? "  Mr.  Freeland 
inquired  of  .the  officer. 

"  In  the  street  at  the  rear  of  this  building,"  replied 
he,  "with  the  envelope  and  a  three-dollar  bill  in  his 
hand." 


100  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

u  Of  what  bank  was  the  money  which  you  have  lost, 
Mr.  Slash?"  asked  Mr.  Freehand. 

"  The  bills  were  all  of  the  City  Bank,  Boston,"  was 
the  reply ;  "  mostly  tens  and  twenties,  with  a  few  twos 
and  threes." 

u  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that,"  said  the  officer,  as  he 
took  the  three-dollar  bill  of  the  above-named  bank, 
together  with  the  envelope,  from  his  pocket. 

The  lower  right-hand  comer  of  the  bill  was  missing. 
It  had  been  torn  off  in  such  a  manner  as  to  take  the 
final  letter  of  the  president's  name,  and  also  the  last 
figure  of  the  date  of  the  year  —  leaving  it  "  185-." 
Mr.  Slash,  however,  could  not  identify  this  particular 
bill,  although  he  had  noticed,  when  counting  the  money, 
that  one  of  the  bills  was  torn. 

Although  Fred  looked  still  more  serious  when  this 
apparently  strong  evidence  was  brought  against  him, 
yet  he  showed  no  signs  of  fear;  but  his  father  turned 
deadly  pale,  for  he  was  well  aware  that  a  weight  of 
evidence  was  accumulating  against  his  dear  boy  that 
could  with  great  difficulty,  if  at  all,  be  overcome. 

"  My  son,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  "  can  you  throw  any 
light  upon  this  unhappy  affair?" 

'•  Not  much,  sir,  I  fear,"  replied  Fred,  promptly.- 
"  There  is  something  about  this  wholly  unaccountable 
to  me.     I  will  tell  the  truth,  though,  as  far  as  I  know ; 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  101 

and  you,  my  father,  will  believe  my  statement,  if  others 
do  not." 

"I  have  never  yet  had  reason  to  doubt  you,  my 
dear  boy,"  rejoined  Mr.  Freeland,  "  and  I  trust  I  shall 
not  in  the  present  instance.  Proceed  immediately  with 
your  statement." 

Fred  at  once  related,  in  his  usual  straightforward 
manner,  every  thing  just  as  it  had  occurred,  —  from  his 
handling  the  envelope  at  Mr.  Slash's  desk,  to  his  arrest 
by  the  officer,  —  except  that  he  purposely  avoided  any 
reference  to  Bill  Brown,  being  fully  determined  not 
to  implicate  him  in  any  manner  in  this  bad  business, 
as  he  knew  he  was  ignorant  of  the  whole  affair. 

"I  place  the  fullest  confidence  in  every  word  you 
have  spoken,  my  son,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  when  Fred 
had  finished ;  "  but  I  suppose  we  cannot  reasonably 
expect  others  to  credit  your  statement  with  the  same 
readiness.  Mr.  Officer,"  he  continued,  "  what  is  to  be 
done?" 

Before  answering  Mr.  Freeland's  question,  the  officer 
held  a  few  minutes'  conversation  with  Mr.  Slash.  In 
the  mean  time  Fred  managed  to  say  to  his  father, 
unobserved  by  others, — 

"  How  glad  I  am  they  don't  say  any  thing  about 
Bill  Brown !  I  have  been  afraid,  all  the  time,  they 
would  try  to  bring  him  into  the  scrape.  But  it  is 
9* 


102  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

now  about  time  for  the  cars  to  start,  and  I  hope  he 
will  get  off  without  being  troubled." 

"  If  you  came  here  first,  Fred,  as  I  presume  you 
did,  with  Bill  Brown,"  inquired  Mr.  Freeland,  "  why  is 
it  that  you  have  refrained  from  naming  him  ?  Are  you 
certain  he  knows  nothing  about  this  missing  money  ?  " 

"  Yes,  father,  I  am  sure  he  does  not,"  replied  Fred. 
"Bill  Avould  not  steal.  Besides,  he  went  out  before 
the  expressman  brought  the  letter  in,  and  that's  the 
reason,  I  suppose,  they  don't  say  any  thing  about  him 
here.  I  know  Bill  could  not  have  taken  the  money: 
so,  father,  please  don't  name  him ! " 

The  officer  at  this  moment  approached  Mr.  Freeland, 
and  informed  him  that  the  evidence  appeared  to  be 
so  strong  against  his  son  that  it  would  be  his  duty 
to  take  him  before  the  Police  Court  for  examination. 
The  court  was  then  in  session,  he  said,  and  he  had  no 
doubt,  as  the  witnesses  were  all  present,  that  the  matter 
could  be  investigated  at  once ;  and  if  so,  even  should 
the  boy  be  held  for  trial  before  the  Municipal  Court, 
bonds  might  be  procured  for  him  without  delay,  and 
he  would  be  at  liberty  to  return  home,  without  being 
detained  over  Sunday. 

Mr.  Freeland  thanked  the  officer  for  this  information, 
and  promptly  acted  upon  the  suggestion  by  proceeding 
immediately  to  the  Court  House.     The   examination 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  103 

was  entered  into  directly;  but,  unfortunately  for  poor 
Fred,  the  evidence  was  so  clear  that  the  judge  felt 
himself  obligated  to  have  the  matter  carried  up  to  the 
higher  court.  There  was  nothing  new  elicited  at  the 
examination.  The  officer  who  made  the  arrest  knew 
nothing  about  Bill  Brown,  as  his  name  had  not  been 
mentioned  in  his  hearing.  Consequently,  he  had  been 
allowed  to  proceed  on  his  journey  unmolested  —  at 
which  Fred  silently  rejoiced. 

Mr.  Freehand,  however,  could  not  banish  the  idea 
that  Bill  knew  something  about  the  missing  money, 
notwithstanding  Fred  was  so  sanguine  that  such  could 
not  be  the  case.  His  first  thought  had  been,  to  inform 
the  officer  of  his  suspicions,  and  have  Bill  arrested  and 
brought  back.  But,  upon  further  consideration,  he  had 
doubts  as  to  the  propriety  of  such  an  act.  No  one  but 
himself,  as  it  then  appeared,  entertained  any  distrust 
of  that  boy ;  and  if,  as  Fred  maintained,  he  had  no 
knowledge  of  the  matter,  it  would  be  the  height  of 
injustice  to  involve  him  in  this  difficulty,  and  thus  break 
up,  probably,  those  commendable  plans  of  industry  and 
reform  which  he  had  so  recently  adopted.  Besides, 
he  remembered  Bill's  agency  in  rescuing  Jenny  from 
the  dog. 

There  was  still  another  view  taken  of  this  subject 
by  Mr.  Freeland.     As  Bill  Brown's  character  had  been 


104  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

considered,  hitherto,  any  thing  but  good,  might  not  the 
mere  fact  of  showing  that  Fred  was  in  his  company 
immediately  before  and,  after  the  money  was  missed, 
operate  to  his  disadvantage  ?  Upon  the  whole,  Mr. 
Freeland  decided  to  make  no  allusion  to  Bill  without 
first  asking  legal  advice ;  and,  consequently,  his  name 
was  not  mentioned  during  the  examination. 


• 

* 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  105 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


A   NEW   DIFFICULTY. 


At  the  close  of  the  examination,  which  occupied  but 
thirty  minutes,  the  judge  fixed  Fred's  bonds  at  five 
hundred  dollars,  and  Mr.  Freeland  at  once  offered 
security  in  that  amount  for  his  appearance  before  the 
Municipal  Court.  But  here  an  unexpected  difficulty 
arose ;  for  Fred  resolutely  objected  to  accept  of  liberty 
under  bonds,  preferring,  decidedly,  to  go  to  jail.  His 
father  used  all  the  arguments  he  could  at  the  time 
command  in  the  endeavor  to  convince  him  that  such 
would  be  an  unwise  course,  and  one  that  he  Avould 
himself  regret  when  he  came  to  know  what  hardships 
^hd  deprivations  he  would  be  subjected  to.  He  also 
argued  that  the  public  would  look  upon  the  fact  of  his 
being  sent  to  jail  in  the  light  of  additional  ignominy, 
and  that  he  would  be  deprived  of  all  the  consolation 
which  he  would  otherwise  receive  from  the  society  of 
his  friends. 

"  Father,"  said  Fred,  "  I  have  never  intentionally 


106  FRED   FREELA^D,   OR 

disobeyed  your  commands,  nor  will  I  now.  If  you 
insist  upon  my  going  home  with  you,  I  have  nothing 
more  to  say;  but  I  had  much  rather  go  to  jail,  and 
wait  till  my  trial  comes  on,  —  when  I  know  I  shall 
be  proved  innocent,  —  than  to  go  home  and  meet  my 
friends  while  I  am  suspected  of  this  crime." 

"  But  have  you,  my  son,"  inquired  Mr.  Freeland, 
"considered  that  you  may  be  compelled  to  remain  in 
jail  weeks,  perhaps  months,  before  your  trial  will  take 
place  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir,  I  have  thought  of  that;  but  a  month  in 
jail,  under  these  circumstances,  will  not  be  so  hard  for 
me  to  bear  as  a  day  at  home.  Besides,  if  I  am  at 
liberty,  on  bail,  some  may  suspect  that  it  is  your 
intention  to  have  me  out  of  the  way  before  the  trial 
comes  on ;  but  if  I  go  to  prison,  there  can  be  no  such 
suspicion." 

"  Have  you  thought  of  Jenny  in  this  connection,  my 
dear  boy?  "What  will  be  her  feelings  if  I  go  home 
without  you,  and  have  to  inform  her  that  you  are  in 
jail?" 

"Yes,  sir,  I  have  thought  of  my  dear  little  sister, 
and  can  never  forgive  myself  for  the  unhappiness  this 
bad  affair  will  give  her.  But  I  think,  father,  you  will 
have  no  difficulty  in  convincing  her  that  it  is  best  for 
m.e  to  remain  in  jail  till  my  trial  comes  on  —  more 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  107 

especially  when  she  comes  to  know  that  it  is  my  own 
choice."  > 

"Perhaps  not,  my  son,  provided  I  could  urge  the 
matter  conscientiously.  But  I  fear  you  have  a  very 
vague  idea  of  th^  confinement  and  restrictions  to  which 
you  will  be  subjected  within  prison  walls ;  and,  should 
I  give  way  to  your  present  wish,  you  would,  without 
doubt,  "soon  repent  of  your  choice." 

"I  feel  that  I  justly  deserve  punishment,  my  dear 
father,  for  not  obeying  your  frequent  admonitions  about 
meddling  with  things  not  my  own.  If  I  had  not  taken 
that  envelope  in  my  hand,  probably  no  suspicion  would 
have  rested  on  me ;  but  now  I  must  suffer  the  penalty. 
I  will  only  say  once  more,  father,  that  I  should  greatly 
prefer  going  to  jail  till  this  matter  is  cleared  up.  I 
would  not  object  to  going  home  —  but  I  believe  it 
would  kill  me  outright.  I  am  now  ready,  dear  father, 
to  go  wherever  you  say." 

Mr.  Freeland,  after  a  few  moments'  reflection,  stated 
his  son's  preference  to  the  judge.  His  honor  was  a 
good  deal  surpjQsed  at  so  unusual  a  decision  in  a  mere 
lad.  lie  advised  Mr.  Freeland,  however,  to  acquiesce 
in  the  matter,  remarking,  that  by  Monday  morning, 
probably,  the  boy  would  change  his  mind,  and  be 
ready  enough  to  come  out  on  bail. 

"  Well,  my  son,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  turning  to  Fred, 


108  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

at  the  close  of  his  brief  conversation  with  the  judge, 
'•  if  you  remain  of  the  same  opinion  still,  I  shall  make 
no  further  objection,  but  will  accompany  you  at  once 
to  Cambridge  Street." 

"O,  I  thank  you,  father!"  exclaimed  Fred,  in  a 
low,  earnest  manner.  "I  am  reader  to  go,  and  have 
no  doubt  it  will  be  all  for  the  best." 

Fred  was  now  placed  in  charge  of  the  proper  officer, 
and,  accompanied  by  his  father,  was  soon  on  his  way 
to  prison.  On  reaching  the  Jail,  the  officer  briefly 
informed  the  keeper  of  the  peculiar  facts  in  the  case, 
and  that  kind-hearted  gentleman  at  once  assured  Mr. 
Freeland  that  his  son  should  be  allowed  every  privilege 
not  actually  prohibited  by  the  prison  rules.  For  this 
kind  assurance  the  afflicted  father  returned  his  grateful 
acknowledgments,  as  it  relieved  his  mind,  in  a  great 
measure,  of  its  over-burdened  anxiety. 

However  much  he  might  regret  the  one  failing  that 
had  contributed  so  largely  to  bring-  his  beloved  boy 
into  his  present  unfortunate  position,  Mr.  Freeland  was 
a  parent  of  too  much  tenderness  and  Vffection  to  give 
one  word  or  look  of  reproach  to  that  son,  who,  he  felt 
fully  confident,  was  entirely  innocent  of  any  criminality 
in  thought  or  deed.  His  greatest  care  was  to  relieve 
him,  in  a  speedy  and  honorable  manner,  from  this  most 
serious  difficulty,  and  to  spare  his  very  sensitive  nature 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  109 

every  possible  pang  —  being  perfectly  satisfied  that  the 
-workings  of  his  quick  conscience  would  be  sufficient 
punishment  for  the  indiscretion  of  which  he  had  been 
guilty,  and  that  this  lesson  from  experience,  rendered 
even  as  mild  as  practicable,  would  be  ample  security 
against  a  repetition  of  the  fault. 

"  My  dear  boy,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  as  he  took  Fred 
by  the  hand,  "I 'must  leave  you  for  the  present;  but 
keep  up  good  spirits.  I  am  confident  you  are  innocent. 
I  shall  engage  the  best  legal  counsel  in  the  city,  and, 
without  doubt,  we  shall  be  able  to  sift  this  matter  to 
the  bottom  directly,  and  clear  you  from  all  suspicion." 

"  You  need  not  have  any  fears  about  my  keeping 
up  good  spirits,  father,"  replied  Fred,  confidently.  "  As 
long  as  you  believe  that  I  am  innocent,  and  God  hnoios 
that  I  am  innocent,  I  shall  not  give  up  to  despair. 
The  only  thing  that  can  make  me  really  miserable  is 
the  thought  that  the  kindest  father  and  dearest  sister 
will  be  unhappy  on  my  account.  Promise  me,  dear 
father,  that  you  will  not  give  way  to  grief,  and  that 
you  will  do  all  you  can  to  cheer  up  Jenny,  and  I  shall 
be  contented,  if  not  happy,  here." 

"  Fred,  my  dear  son,  I  see  you  are  determined  to 

meet   this   difficulty  with   manfulness.      Your  conduct 

inspires  me  with  confidence.     I  promise  all  you  ask. 

And  now  I  must  depart.     God  bless  and  protect  you. 

10 


110  FRED    FREELAND,   OR 

I  shall  see  you  as  often  as  the  rules  of  the  place  will 
allow.     Good  by,  my  dear  boy." 

"  Good  by,"  responded  Fred,  making  an  effort  to  be 
calm.  "  Give  my  love  to  the  folks  at  home,  and  tell 
Jenny  to  come  and  see  me  the  first  opportunity." 

Mr.  Freeland,  as  he  stepped  into  the  street,  became 
aware  that  it  was  some  two  hours  later  than  the  usual 
time  of  his  reaching  home.  He  knew  full  well  that 
Jenny  would  be  in  a  state  of  alarm  at  the  prolonged 
absence  of  both  himself  and  Fred,  and  consequently 
made  all  haste  in  the  direction  of  the  Rockmount  coach 
office.  The  feelings  that  agitated  his  bosom  during  his 
short  ride  home  can  be  appreciated  only  by  the  parent 
similarly  situated. 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  Ill 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


A   SCENE   AT   HOME. 


"  0 !  what  has  kept  you  so  late  ?  and  where  is 
Fred  ?  "  Jenny,  hurriedly  asked,  as  she  met  her  father 
at  the  gate,  wher,e  she  had  been  anxiously  watching 
for  him  during  a  whole  hour. 

"Something  unexpectedly  detained  me,  my  daughter; 
and  Fred  is  obliged  to  remain  in  the  city  over  night," 
replied  Mr.  Freeland,  with  an  assumed  calmness. 

Jenny,  however,  possessed  much  penetration,  which, 
in  connection  with  her  unbounded  love  for  her  brother, 
led  her  directly  to  the  conclusion  that  some  misfortune 
had  suddenly  overtaken  him.  With  increasing  anxiety 
she  said,  — 

"  Father,  do  tell  me  what  has  happened  to  Fred ! " 

They  had  entered  the  house ;  and  aunt  Mary,  taking 
the  alarm  from  Jenny's  words,  with  the  deepest  interest 
asked,  — 

"  Brother,  what  has  happened  to  pain  you  ?  Where 
is  Fred?" 


112  FRED   FREELAXD,    OR 

"Yes,  father,  where  is  Fred?  and  why  didn't  he 
come  home  with  you  ?  "  questioned  Jenny,  in  a  state 
of  great  nervous  excitement,  and  with  tears  flowing 
freely  down  her  cheeks. 

"  Be  calm,  my  dear  child,"  replied  Mr.  Freeland, 
"  and  I  will  tell  you  all.  Fred  is  safe  and  well ;  but 
uncontrollable  circumstances  made  it  necessary  that  he 
should  remain  in  Boston  until  Monday  morning." 

Jenny  partially  succeeded  in  subduing  her  excited 
feelings,  and  seated  herself  beside  her  father  to  listen 
to  his  narration  of  Fred's  misfortune.  As  he  proceeded 
with  the  sad  tale,  he  was  often  interrupted  by  Jenny's 
exclamations  of  sorrow  and  outbreaks  of  grief;  but 
still  she  maintained  a  far  greater  degree  of  composure 
than  her  father  had  anticipated,  until  he  came  to  the 
closing  scene,  where  the  ponderous  prison  door  had 
separated  him  and  Fred.  Jenny  could  then  no.  longer 
control  her  temper.  Love  and  grief  for  Fred  suddenly 
gave  place  to  indignation  and  resentment  towards  those 
who  had,  unjustly,  as  she  believed,  accused  him  of  theft, 
and  caused  him  to  be  shut  up  in  a  felon's  cell. 

It  was  with  feelings  of  intense  sorrow  that  the  father 
and  aunt  now  marked  the  change  coming  over  that 
usually  gentle  child  before  them.  Her  conduct  had 
been  so  uniformly  mild  and  amiable  for  a  considerable 
length  of  time,  that  they  had  gladly  brought  themselves 


THE    CHAIN    .OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  113 

to  believe  they  should  never  be  compelled  to  witness 
another  of  those  sudden  reverses  in  her  nature  to  which 
allusion  has  been  made  in  a  preceding  chapter.  It  was 
but  too  evident,  however,  that  such  a  change  was  now 
in  progress. .  Her  tears  had  suddenly  ceased  to  flow ; 
her  face,  now  of  the  deepest  crimson,  seemed  to  expand 
to  unnatural  dimensions  ;  her  eyes  shot  forth  glances 
of  fearless  resolves  and  defiant  wrath ;  while  her  whole 
being  was  wrought  up  to  such  a  pitch  of  excitement 
and  fury  as  rendered  her  almost  fearful  to  behold. 

"  What !  my  brother  in  jail  ?  Fred  shut  up  in  a 
prison  ?  "  Jenny  almost  screamed,  as  her  father  ceased 
speaking.  "  Why  did  you  let  them  do  it  ?  0,  how  I 
wish  I  were  a  man !  I  would  tear  the  building  down 
about  their  heads,  and  bring  my  brother  home!"  and 
the  violent  child  paced  up  and  down  the  room  like 
one  distracted. 

"Jenny,  don't  talk  so,  my  dear  daughter,"  said  her 
father,  imploringly,  as  he  took  her  by  the  hand,  and 
endeavored  to  lead  her  to  a  seat.  "  Such  is  the  law, 
which,  you  know,  must  be  obeyed  —  otherwise  there 
would  be  no  safety  in  the  land." 

"  Law  !  "  exclaimed  Jenny,  as  she  wrested  her  hand 

from  that  of  her  father,  and  sprang  to  the  other  side 

of  the  room.     "It's  a  bad  law;  and  bad  men  made 

it :  good  men  wouldn't  make  a  law  to  shut  my  dear 

10*  h 


114  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

innocent  brother  up  in  prison !     Did  he  not  tell  them 
that  he  didn't  take  the  money?" 

"  Yes,  certainly,  he  did,"  replied  Mr.  Freeland ;  "  but 
circumstances  were  against  him,  and  they  could  not  let 
him  off  on  his  mere  denial.  In  law,  every  thing  has 
to  be  proved ;  and  we  must  trust  in  God  that  Fred 
will  be  proved  innocent  of  this  grave  charge  brought 
against  him." 

"  What !  wouldn't  they  believe  him  ?  Not  believe 
Fred,  who  would  sooner  die  than  tell  a  falsehood !  O, 
what  cruel  creatures  !  And  so  they  took  him  and  shut 
him  up  in  prison,  just  as  if  he  had  been  guilty !  But 
are  you  going  to  let  him  stay  in  that  awful  place  over 
night,  father  ?  I  won't,  at  any  rate ; "  and,  rushing 
from  the  room,  she  seized  her  school  hat  and  shawl, 
and  hastily  ran  out  of  the  house. 

Aunt  Mary  pursued  her  to  the  door,  followed  by 
Mr.  Freeland,  and  called  "out, — 

•     "  Jenny !   do  come  back  into  the  house !     You  will 
kill  your  father  by  such  conduct." 

u  I'll  have  my  brother  out  of  prison ! "  she  cried,  as 
she  walked  rapidly  towards  the  street. 

"  O,  my  dear  child,  you  know  not  what  you  say  or 
do ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Freeland,  as  he  hastened  after  her 
down  the  walk.  Taking  her  by  the  arm,  at  the  gate, 
he  said,  gently,  but  solemnly, — 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  115 

"Jenny,  the  spirit  of  your  dear  mother  is  grieving 
over  your  turbulent  temper." 

These  words  produced  an  instantaneous  change  upon 
the  child.  Her  countenance  at  once  resumed  its  usual 
mild  expression,  her  eyes  filled  to  overflowing,  and, 
with  loud  sobs,  she  threw  herself  into  her  father's 
arms,  exclaiming, — 

"  Father,  forgive  me  !  Heavenly  Father,  forgive  a 
sinful  child  I " 

Mr.  Freeland  bore  his  little  daughter,  subdued  and 
penitent,  in  his  arms  to  the  house ;  where,  after  a  few 
moments  of  silent  grief,  she  said  to  him,  with  perfect 
calmness,  — 

"  My  dear  father,  I  will  now  hear  all  you  have  to 
say." 

"I  do  not  think  it  is  advisable  to  say  more  on  the 
theme  this  evening,  my  child,"  replied  Mr.  Freeland. 
"  But  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  to  you  often  on 
the  subject,  for  I  reckon  much  upon  your  assistance 
in  this  unhappy  matter." 

"  I  will  try  to  be  of  some  assistance,  father.  I  can 
at  least  go  often  to  see  Fred,  if  he  has  to  stay  long 
in  prison,  and  help  to  cheer  him  up." 

"  Yes,  Jenny,  that  you  can,"  said  aunt  Mary,  much 
relieved  by  the  more  reasonable  view  the  child  was 
beginning  to  take  of  the  matter ;   "  and  your  sisterly 


116  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

affection  and  kind  attention  will  do  much  to  keep  up 
poor  Fred's  spirits." 

Most  children,  at  quite  an  early  age,  are  delighted 
at  the  idea  of  assisting  older  persons.  If  parents  in 
general  would  exercise  more  forethought  and  patience, 
and  encourage  such  early  efforts,  they  would  bestow 
and  receive  lasting  benefit.  Many  a  child  has  his  or 
her  early  ambition  to  do  good  cramped  for  years,  or 
perhaps  wholly  crushed,  by  a  thoughtless  or  impatient 
parent  saying,  when  the  prattling  voice  and  tiny  hand 
offer  sympathy  and  assistance,  "  You  can't  help  me  — 
you  are  not  big  enough."  Mr.  Freeland,  however,  had 
always  given  his  children  to  understand  that  they  could 
be  of  some  service,  no  matter  what  the  circumstances 
of  the  case  might  be.  And  was  he  not  right  ?  Cannot 
children  do  much  —  even  where  great  difficulties  are 
to  be  met  ?  Will  not  good  example,  sound  advice,  and 
judicious  encouragement  influence  them  not  merely  to 
do,  but  to  do  well  ?  Can  they  not,  at  least,  sympathize 
with  their  parents  when  in  trouble  and  affliction  ?  and 
is  not  this,  even,  of  much  importance  ?  for  will  not  all 
parents  who  have  hearts  meet  any  and  all  of  life's  trials 
with  more  fortitude,  if  aware  that  their  children  take 
an  interest  in  their  affairs,  and  sympathize  with  them 
in  the  innocence  of  their  young  and  truthful  natures? 

Mr.  Freeland  had  now  touched  the  right  chord  in 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  117 

Jenny's  breast.  He  had  intimated  that  he  expected 
her  assistance,  and  that  she  could  do  much  towards 
extricating  her  dear  brother  from  his  truly  unfortunate 
situation.  All  the  generous  impulses  of  her  affectionate 
nature,  and  all  the  energies  of  her  young  and  ardent 
spirit,  were  at  once  fully  enlisted  in  his  cause.  And 
when  she  bade  her  father  and  aunt  good  night,  and 
retired  to  rest,  it  was  with  feelings  of  deep  repentance 
for  the  outbreak  of  passion  of  which  she  had  been 
guilty,  and  with  a  firm  determination  to  do  all  in  her 
power  for  her  imprisoned  brother. 

The  following  Monday  morning  found  Jenny  ready 
at  an  early  hour  to  accompany  her  father  to  Boston. 
Her  idea  of  Fred's  place  of  confinement  was  based 
upon  the  most  horrifying  description  of  prisons  and 
dungeons  of  which  she  had  ever  heard  or  read ;  but 
when  they  entered  the  Jail,  and  were  met  by  the  very 
gentlemanly  and  sociable  keeper;  when  she  saw  the 
order  and  neatness  of  every  thing  appertaining  to  the 
premises ;  and  more  especially  when  she  found  herself 
locked  in  the  arms  of  her  dear  brother,  felt  his  warm, 
affectionate  kiss  upon  her  cheek,  heard  from  his  own 
lips  how  kindly  he  had  been  treated,  and  that  he  had 
suffered  no  inconvenience  other  than  that  of  separation 
from  his  friends,  —  when  Jenny  realized  all  this,  her 
worst  fears  were  at  once  dispelled,  and  half  of  the 


118  FRED   FREELASTD,    OR 

anticipated  horrors  of  Fred's  situation  vanished  from 
her  mind. 

Fred  was  much  gratified  at  this  early  visit  from  his 
little  sister,  and  endeavored  to  impress  her  with  the 
belief  that  his  innocence  would  speedily  be  established, 
when  he  should  meet  her  again  at  their  happy  home. 
He  charged  her  to  keep  up  good  spirits,  and  to  hope 
for  the  best ;  and  not,  by  appearing  unhappy,  give  their 
father  additional  trouble  and  anxiety.  Jenny  readily 
promised  this,  and  cheerfully  told  Fred  she  expected 
to  see  him  at  home  very  soon ;  but,  until  that  time, 
she  should  visit  him  as  often  as  practicable. 

At  the  close  of  the  interview  Mr.  Freeland  saw  his 
daughter  safely  seated  in  a  Rockmount  coach,  and  then 
hastened  to  obtain  counsel  for  Fred.  Notwithstanding 
he  had  the  fullest  confidence  in  the  innocence  of-  his 
son,  yet  he  saw  that  the  circumstances  of  the  case 
were  such  as  to  require  the  best  of  legal  talent.  He 
called  at  once  on  Mr.  Irwin,  a  lawyer  of  eminence, 
with  whom  he  was  intimately  acquainted,  stated  the 
case  to  him,  and  engaged  his  services.  He  spoke  of 
his  suspicions  with  regard  to  Bill  Brown,  and  also  of 
Fred's  objections  to  having  any  thing  done  that  might 
implicate  Bill.  Mr.  Irwin  took  a  moment  to  consider, 
and  then  proposed  to  see  Fred  without  delay  —  hoping 
he  might  be  induced  to  consent  to  have  Bill  sent  for 


THE    CHAIX    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  119 

immediately,  the  probability  being  that  the  vessel  had 
not  at  that  time  sailed. 

The  two  gentlemen,  accordingly,  proceeded  forthwith 
to  the  Jail,  where  Mr.  Irwin  had  a  long  conversation 
with  Fred.  But,  with  all  his  arguments,  he  could  not 
obtain  the  prisoner's  consent  to  have  Bill  Brown  sent 
for.  He  could  not,  possibly,  know  any  thing  about  the 
money,  Fred  insisted,  and  to  bring  him  back  would 
only  get  him  into  difficulty,  without  throwing  the  least 
light  on  the  matter.  He  finally  consented  to  have  his 
trial  put  off"  till  the  vessel  should  return  from  her 
cruise,  early  in  the  autumn,  probably,  when  Bill  could 
be  summoned  as  a  witness. 

Mr.  Irwin  believed  that  Bill's  testimony  would  be 
important  so  far  as  showing  where  Fred  was  in  the 
interim  between  leaving  Mr.  Slash's  premises  and  his 
arrest,  if  no  farther ;  and  as  the  only  plea  he  could 
make  in  the  present  state  of  the  case  would  be  his 
client's  previous  irreproachable  character,  he  decided 
that  the  safest  course  would  be  in  the  postponement 
of  the  trial  until  the  return  of  the  vessel. 

The  lawyer  next  endeavored  to  persuade  Fred  to 
come  out  on  bail,  instead  of  remaining  in  jail  three 
or  four  months ;  but  he  continued  firm  in  his  previous 
decision,  saying  he  would  never  consent  to  have  his 
liberty  while  this  suspicion  rested  upon  his  character. 


120  FRED    FREELAXD,    OK 

Mr.  Irwin  left  with  feelings  of  disappointment  at  the 
ill  success  of  his  arguments,  but  with  entire  confidence 
in  the  youthful  prisoner's  innocence,  and  with  a  high 
degree  oT  admiration  for  his  nice  sense  of  honor,  and 
for  the  generosity  and  nobleness  of  his  character. 

"When  it  became  generally  known  in  Rockmount  that 
Fred  Freehand  had  been  arrested  and  committed  to 
jail  to  await  his  trial  on  a  charge  of  theft,  surprise 
and  excitement  were  great,  especially  among  the  boys ; 
and  there  was  not  an  individual  in  the  whole  village 
but  believed  him  innocent  of  the  crime ;  but  many, 
beside;   r.Ir.  Freeland,  had  suspicions  of  Bill  Brown. 

At  the  expiration  of  some  eight  or  ten  days  from 
the  time  of  Fred's  arrest,  his  case  was  called  up  before 
the  Municipal  Court,  when  Mr.  Irwin  appeared  and 
asked  for  a  postponement,  on  account  of  the  absence 
of  an  important  witness*.     The  request  was  granted. 

Days,  weeks,  and  months  passed  by,  and  still  no 
light  had  been  thrown  upon  the  affair  of  the  money 
lost  by  Messrs.  Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co.  Fred  Freeland's 
courage  had  not  flagged  in  the  least  degree  during  all 
this  long  confinement ;  but  his  situation  was  altogether 
a  different  thing  from  that  of  prisoners  generally ;  for 
the  fact  that  his  imprisonment  was  voluntary  had  been 
taken  into  account  by  the  officers  of  the  Jail,  and  his 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  121 

kind  father  had  seen  him  supplied  with  eveiy  possible 
comfort  under  the  circumstances.  In  addition  to  this, 
Jenny  had  been  constant  in  her  visits,  and  unremitting 
in  her  affectionate  attentions  to  him,  and  was  widely 
known  and  admired  for  her  sisterly  devotion  to  his 
cause. 

Both  Mr.  Freeland  and  his  lawyer  had  been  diligent 
in  their  exertions  to  obtain  some  clew  to  the  missing 
money,  but  without  success ;  and  their  only  hope  was, 
that  Bill  Brown's  return  might  clear  up  the  mysterious 
affair.  Mr.  Freeland  had  written  to  the  owner  of  the 
Sea  Gull,  at  Hooksink,  requesting  to  be  informed  the 
moment  the  vessel  arrived,  when  he  would  take  such 
steps  as  were  necessary  to  secure  Bill  as  a  witness. 
The  time  was  drawing  near  when  the  arrival  of  the 
Sea  Gull  might  be  expected. 
11 


122  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 


CHAPTER    XV. 

A   STORM   AT   SEA. 

Our  story  opened  in  the  early  part  of  the  month 
of  June.  Summer,  brief  and  beautiful,  had  passed 
rapidly  away,  and,  as  September  drew  towards  a 
close,  one  of  the  most  terrific  south-east  storms  that 
ever  dashed  upon  the  Atlantic  shores  raged  for  many 
hours  all  along  the  coast  from  Cape  Hatteras  to  the 
eastern  extremity  of  Nova  Scotia. 

In  the  dark  hours  of  the  night,  during  the  height  of 
this  gale,  a  small  vessel,  westward  bound,  was  driving 
along  the  dangerous  coast,  many  leagues  east  of  Cape 
Elizabeth,  almost  wholly  at  the  mercy  of  the  wind  and 
waves.  It  was  truly  a  fearful  storm  for  any  vessel  to 
encounter,  and  in  this  instance  the  danger  was  greatly 
increased  through  the  ciyppled  condition  of  the  little 
craft,  as  well  as  by  the  fact  that  her  crew  were  totally 
ignorant  of  their  latitude,  on  account  of  the  thick  fog 
which  had  prevailed  for  several  days. 

There  were  ten  persons  on  board  this  little  vessel, 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  123 

though  three  only  were  on  deck  at  this  time  —  the 
captain,  at  the  helm,  a  young  man  at  the  bows,  who. 
had  probably  seen  some  twenty  summers,  and  a  lad 
of  fourteen,  stationed  midships,  so  that  he  could  render 
assistance  either  forward  or  aft,  as  emergencies  sflight 
arise. 

This  vessel  was  the  "  Sea  Gull,"  Captain  Bruce, 
and  the  lad  above  alluded  to  was  none  other  than 
our  old  acquaintance,  Bill  Brown.  He  had  conducted 
himself  admirably  during  the  summer,  and  was  quite 
a  favorite  with  all  hands  ;  and  under  the  immediate 
tuition  of  Jack  Sanderson,  —  the  young  man  already 
mentioned  as  one  of  the  three  persons  on  deck,  and 
who  was  "  every  inch  a  sailor,"  —  he  had  made  rapid 
progress  in  his  new  profession.  In  fact,  Jack  had  more 
than  once  remarked  that  if  he  could  take  Bill  with 
him  for  six  months  on  board  a  larger  vessel,  he  would 
make  of  him  "as  good  a  sailor  as  ever  trod  a  deck." 

The  Sea  Gull  had  been  on  the  Grand  Bank  all 
through  the  summer  fishing  for  cod ;  but,  about  the 
middle  of  September,  Captain  Bruce  decided  to  run 
up  into  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  where,  it  was  reported, 
mackerel  were  then  very  abundant  —  a  circumstance 
somewhat  unusual  of  late  years,  though  formerly  it  was 
more  frequented  by  that  beautiful  fish  than  any  Other 
place  known  to  fishermen.     The  Sea  Gull  had  been 


124  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

fitted  out  both  for  cod  and  mackerel  fishing.  Finding 
the  latter  fish  very  plentiful  in  the  bay,  Captain  Bruce 
and  his  crew  anticipated  a  speedy  return  home,  with 
their  vessel  deeply  laden.  In  fact,  the  captain  was  so 
sanguine  of  success,  that  he  sent  intelligence  to  his 
owner,  by  a  fisherman  bound  to  Hooksink,  that  they 
should  probably  reach  home  in  the  course  of  a  few 
days.  The  wind,  however,  changed  suddenly  to  the 
east,  a  thick  fog  surrounded  them  continually,  the  sea 
became  very  rough,  and  fish  scarce. 

The  Sea  Gull  was  of  that  class  of  vessels  termed 
fore-and-qfters,  and  carried  only  three  sails  —  mainsail, 
foresail,  and  jib.  At  the  time  the  wind  changed  to  the 
east,  the  vessel  was  "  laying  to  "  under  her  mainsail  — 
the  usual  situation  when  fishing  for  mackerel.  The 
wind  sprang  up  very  suddenly,  and,  by  some  oversight 
or  mismanagement,  the  main  boom  was  broken  short 
off,  near  the  middle.  As  they  could  not  fish,  after  this 
accident,  even  had  the  weather  been  suitable,  it  was 
decided  to  make  sail  and  run  for  Hooksink. 

Accordingly,  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  they 
reduced  the  size  of  the  mainsail  by  taking  a  double 
reef  in  it,  hooked  a  tackle  to  it,  transformed  it  into 
what  is  called  a  lugsail,  and  hoisted  it  to  the  breeze, 
together  with  the  foresail  and  jib. 

They  set  their  course  for  Hooksink,  as  well  as  they 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  125 

could  judge  in  the  fog,  and  continued  to  run  during  the 
remainder  of  that  day,  and  well  into  the  succeeding 
night,  at  which  time  the  wind  hauled  to  the  south-east, 
accompanied  with  heavy  rain,  and  increased  in  violence 
until  it  reached  the  frightful  gale  already  alluded  to. 
Captain  Bruce,  fearful  of  the  near  proximity  of  land, 
gave  orders  ahout  midnight  to  haul  down  the  lugsail, 
take  in  the  jib,  and  "  heave  to "  under  a  double-reefed 
foresail.  This  was  done  ;  but  the  moment  the  vessel 
"came  to,"  the  fore-peak  halyards  parted  aloft  —  thus 
rendering  the  sail  wholly  useless  for  the  time  being. 
The  gale  continued  to  rage  with  unabated  fury,  and 
nought  remained  to  be  done  but  to  secure  the  disabled 
foresail,  and  make  sail  again  -under  the  lugsail  and  jib 
—  the  latter  being  the  only  perfect  sail  remaining. 

Captain  Bruce  was  a  young  man,  scarcely  more  than 
twenty-one,  and  but  little  acquainted  with  that  part  of 
the  coast ;  but  he  had  an  old  pilot  with  him,  a  Captain 
Pope,  a  man  near  sixty  years  of  age,  whose  experience 
in  those  waters  had  been  very  extensive,  and  who  was 
believed  to  be  the  best  pilot  any  where  along  shore. 
After  the  accident  to  the  foresail,  he  set  the  course 
anew,  confidently  assuring  Captain  Bruce  that  it  would 
carry  them  far  clear  of  all  land  until  daylight. 

It  was  some  two  hours  after  this  last-named  accident 
that  we  have  called  the  reader's  attention  to  the  Sea 
11* 


126  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

Gull,  in  her  crippled  condition,  as  she  was  swiftly 
overriding  the  mountainous  waves  that  seemed  every 
moment  about  to  ingulf  her  in  their  vastness.  Carrying 
no  onnvas  but  her  jib,  and  a  lugsail  hastily  constructed 
out  of  the  disabled  mainsail,  yet  the  little  vessel  was 
driving  on  her  course  with  a  free  wind,  at  an  almost 
incredible  speed.  As  we  have  seen,  the  only  occupants 
of  the  deck  were  Captain  Bruce,  Jack  Sanderson,  and 
Bill  Brown  —  whose  watch  it  now  was.  The  other 
seven  were  below,  and  the  most  of  them  asleep,  all 
having  the  fullest  confidence  in  the  watch  on  deck. 

Captain  Bruce  was  an  excellent  sailor,  and  possessed 
of  sound  judgment  for  a  man  of  his  years.  He  was 
careful  and  humane,  and  .felt  the  full  responsibility  of 
the  critical  situation  in  which  he  was  placed.  He  had 
great  confidence  in  the  knowledge  and  judgment  of  his 
pilot,  on  most  occasions  ;  but  in  this  instance  he  had 
some  misgivings,  and  could  not  feel  satisfied  as  to  the 
safety  of  the  course  they  were  running.  Finally,  his 
dissatisfaction  overcoming  his  respect  for  the  opinion  of 
the  old  pilot,  he  concluded  to  consult  Jack  Sanderson, 
in  whose  judgment,  young  as  he  was,  he  placed  much 
reliance. 

"  Bill,"  called  out  Captain  Bruce,  through  an  almost 
deafening  blast  of  wind  and  rain  that  swept  across  the 
deck  at  the  instant,  "  run  forward,  and  send  Jack  to 


THE    CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  127 

me  a  moment ;  and  mind  that  you  keep  a  bright  look 
out  the  while." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  Bill,  as  he  sprang  forward  and 
delivered  the  order. 

Jack  gave  Bill  a  word  of  caution  about  keeping  a 
sharp  look  out,  and  then  bounded  over  the  slippery 
deck  to  the  side  of  Captain  Bruce. 

"  Jack,  what  do  you  think  of  the  course  Ave  are  now 
running?"  asked  the  captain. 

"I  think  it  is  swift,  and  likely  to  be  short,"  replied 
Jack,  in  a  manner  that  at  once  conveyed,  his  meaning 
to  the  other. 

"Then  you  think  the  old  pilot  is  out  of  his  reckoning, 
do  you,  Jack?" 

"Ay,  that  I  do.  I  was  never  so  much  surprised  in 
my  life  as  when  I  heard  that  old  sea  dog  give  you 
the  course.  A  lee  shore  is  much  nearer  than  he  has 
any  idea  of,  and  we  shall  be  in  with  the  land  long 
before  daylight  if  we  continue  this  course.  In  fact, 
I've  been  expecting  for  the  last  hour  that  the  old  Sea 
Gull  would  run  her  bill  against  some  of  the  ugly  rocks 
that  must  now  be  close  aboard,  and  scatter  her  own 
bones,  as  well  as  ours,  along  the  shore." 

"  And  why  didn't  you  state  your  fears  to  me  before, 
Jack,  if  you  believed  our  situation  so  dangerous  ? " 

"  I  hope  I  know  my  place  as  a  sailor   too  well," 


128  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

replied  Jack,  with  a  sudden  jerk  at  his  trousers,  "  to 
offer  an  opinion  unasked;  but  when  consulted,  I'm  in 
duty  bound  to  speak  my  mind." 

"  Well,  Jack,  I  wish  I  had  consulted  you  before ;  but 
what  would  you  recommend  now?" 

"Why,  sir,  if' I  were  skipper  of  this' little  craft,  I'd 
just  let  her  come  up  two  points  nearer  the  wind.  She 
will  lay  up  to  that  course  handsomely,  I  think,  and 
make  good  headway  at  that." 

"That's  my  view  of  the  case,  exactly,  Jack.  And 
now  you  had  better  run  forward  again,  and  see  if  your 
more  experienced  eye  or  ear  can  detect  any  danger 
ahead." 

The  change  in  the  course  of  the  Sea  Gull  was  made 
—  but  none  too  soon ;  for  Jack  had  barely  reached  his 
former  position  at  the  bow,  trimmed  down  the  jib  a 
little,  to  meet  the  two  points'  variation,  and  given  one 
searching  look  into  the  gloomy  darkness,  when  he  cried 
out,  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  — 

"  Breakers  aftead  !  " 

"  Breakers  ahead  !  "  repeated  Bill,  at  his  old  station, 
midships. 

"  Breakers  ahead !  AU  hands  on  deck !  "  shouted 
Captain  Bruce,  as  he  took  up  the  fearful  cry ;  and  at 
the  same  time  he  gave  three  knocks  with  the  heel  of 
his  heavy  fishing  boot  directly  over  the  sleepers  in  the 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  129 

cabin  below.  In  a  moment  all  hands  were  mustering 
for  the  deck.  In  the  mean  time  the  captain  called 
out  to  Jack, — 

"  Where  away  are  the  breakers  ?  " 

"Almost  dead  ahead;  a  little  under  the  lee  bow. 
Keep  her  steady,  as  she  is,  captain." 

"  Steady  it  is,"  responded  Captain  Bruce.  "  What's 
to  be  done,  Jack  ?  Every  thing  depends  on  you.  You 
can  best  see  the,  lay  of  the  land  ;  and  as  you  are  always 
cool  and  self-possessed,  I  shall  be  governed  wholly  by 
your  advice." 

"  There  is  but  one  chance  for  us,"  replied  Jack,  who, 
that  he  might  come  within  speaking  distance  of  the 
captain,  had  exchanged  places  with  Bill,  —  "  there  is 
but  one  chance  for  us,  and  that  is,  you  must  keep  a 
steady  helm,  and  give  her  a  good  full;  for  the  shore 
is  bold,  and  she  will  go  by  if  you  are  only  steady." 

"  Steady  it  is,"  responded  the  captain,  who  at  once 
became  convinced  that  their  only  safety  was  in  the 
course  recommended  by  Jack.  In  fact,  the  vessel  was 
so  crippled  in  her  sails  that  it  would  have  been  sheer 
madness  to  attempt  any  thing  else. 

"  Bill,  you  must  take  full  charge  of  that  jib,"  said 
Jack,  having  run  forward  an  instant  to  take  a  hasty 
glance  at  the  ugly-looking  rocks  almost  over  the  bows ; 
"and  you  must  mind  your  eye,  boy,  and  'ease  off'  or 

I 


130  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

'  trim  down  '  like  an  '  old  salt,'  or  we  shall  land  a  little 
too  much  in  a  hurry.     Do  you  hear?" 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  Bill,  with  a  calmness  that 
gave  the  other  new  courage.  "Never  fear  me.  I'll 
handle  this  ere  jib  as  easy  as  a  lady  does  her  fen." 

"  Good !  give  me  you  yet,  Bill,"  said  Jack,  as  he 
sprang  aft  to  attend  to  some  duty  there. 


THE    CHAIN    OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  131 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

AN  APPALLING  SCENE. "MAN  OVERBOARD!" 

I 

All  hands  had  reached  the  deck.  There  were  good 
and  noble  sailors  among  the  crew  of  the  Sea  Gull ;  but 
the  fact  of  their  having  been  roused  from  sound  sleep, 
and  brought  suddenly  under  such  great  and  impending 
danger,  rendered  them  all  completely  helpless.  Not 
one  of  the  number  just  called  from  below  lifted  his 
hand  to  assist  in  the  management  of  the  vessel;  and 
it  would  have  been  far  better  if  they  had  remained  in 
their  berths. 

The  vessel  had  now  approached  most  fearfully  near 
the  rocks,  and  it  was  nowise  remarkable  that  those  who 
had  been  called  so  hastily  on  deck  were  appalled  at 
the  scene  before  them  —  believing,  as  they  did,  that 
the  schooner  was  driving  directly  on  shore.  The  gale 
had  reached  its  utmost  height,  and  the  Sea  Gull  was 
ploughing  her  way  along,  almost  with  the  swiftness  of 
a  bird,  through  the  very  froth  and  foam  caused  by  the 
terrific  surges  of  the  tumultuous  ocean  upon  the  bold 


132  FRED    FREELAND,   OR 

and  ragged  rocks  ;  far  to  windward,  sea  after  sea  rose 
up,  like  mountain  heiglits,  and  came  rolling  and  rushing 
furiously  on  in  rapid  succession,  as  if  each  one  would 
overwhelm  or  swallow  up  its  predecessor,  and,  thus 
combined,  lift  the  little  frail  bark  heavenward,  only  to 
dash  her  to  shivers  upon  those  immovable  rocks  which 
have  withstood  Old  Atlantic's  constant  assaults  for  ages 
untold;  whilst  nearly  over  their  heads  hung  the  high 
dark  bluff,  as  if  frowning  upon  and  threatening  feeble, 
short-sighted  man  for  his  temerity  in  approaching  thus 
near,  during  this  awfully-sublime  convulsion  of  Nature, 
the  far-outstretched  and  everlasting  breastwork  thrown 
up  by  the  all-wise  Creator  as  an  impregnable  barrier  to 
the  ceaseless  encroachments  of  the  vast  and  ever-rolling 
ocean. 

"  Captain  Bruce ! "  exclaimed  the  old  pilot  as  soon 
as  he  reached  the  deck,  and  saw  the  rocks  looming  up 
over  the  bows^  "  are  you  going  to  run  the  vessel  upon 
the  breakers  ?     Why  don't  you  tack  ship  ? " 

"  Yes,  yes, '  tack  ship ! ' "  screamed  nearly  every  one 
of  the  crew,  simultaneously. 

"  Steady,  captain,  as  you  are  ! "  shouted  Jack,  loud 
above  the  fierce  whistle  of  the  raging  storm  and  the 
tumult  of  voices. 

"  Steady  it  is  ! "  responded  Captain  Bruce.  Then, 
turning  to  the  pilot,  he  said, — 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  133 

"  We  can't  tack  —  you  forget  that  we  have  no  sail 
in  working  order,  except  the  jib." 

"  O,  true  —  I  forgot  about  that.  Well,  wear  ship, 
then." 

"  Yes,  yes ;  '  wear  ship,'  Captain  Bruce,"  repeated 
the  bewildered  crew. 

"Give  her  a  little  more  full ;  there — steady!"  again 
shouted  Jack  Sanderson. 

"  Steady"  it  is  ! "  replied  the  captain,  in  a  firm-  voice. 
Addressing  the  pilot,  he  said,  — 

"You  can  see  at  a  glance  that  there  is  not  room 
to  tad;  even  if  our  sails  were  in  working  order,  much 
less  to  wear." 

"  True,  true,"  hurriedly  replied  the  old  man.  "  Well, 
anchor,  then  ! " 

"Yes,  that's  it  — ' anchor,' »' anchor ! '"  chimed  in  the 
half-distracted  crew. 

This  proposition  was  the  most  preposterous  of  all, 
and  Jack  Sanderson  manifested  a  little  impatience  as 
he  turned  to  the  old  pilot  and  said, — 

"  An  attempt  to  anchor  here  would  send  us  all  to 
1  Davy  Jones's  locker '  in  the  twinkling  of  a  handspike. 
Captain  Bruce,"  continued  Jack,  addressing  the  skipper, 
"keep  a  steady  helm,  and  give  her  a  good  full,  and 
I  know  she  will  go  by." 

"  Steady  it  is ! "  responded  the  captain,  as  he  gave 
12 


134  FRED    FREELAND,   OR 

the  vessel  the  benefit  of  a  favorable  gust  of  wind  that 
struck  her  sails  at  the  moment,  and  caused  her  to  dash 
through  the  foaming  sea  with  increased  velocity. 

Jack  then  sprang  forward  to  take  one  more  hasty 
look  ahead,  and  was  at  once  satisfied  that  the  critical 
moment  had  arrived  which  was  to  decide  their  fate. 
The  vessel  had  been  driving  along  for  something  like 
one  third  of  a  mile  in  the  boiling  foam  caused  by  the 
breaking  of  the  sea  upon  the  perpendicular  rocks,  while 
the  wind,  all  the  time,  was  forcing  her  broadside  on. 
Nothing  but  the  back  sea,  probably,  which  has  great 
power  when  a  heavy  swell  is  heaving  on  to  a  bold 
shore,  had  thus  far  saved  the  Sea  Gull  from  being 
dashed  to  pieces  on  the  threatening  breakers.  They 
were  now  within  the  vessel's  length  of  what  appeared 
to  be  a  headland,  and  if  this  were  passed,  all  would 
be  safe.  Jack's  quick  eye  told  him  if  the  wind  held 
precisely  as  it  then  was  for  one  minute  more,  the  bluff 
would  be  passed  with  safety.  He  had  started  to  run 
aft  with  the  joyful  news,  when  he  hearji  Captain  Bruce, 
in  loud  tones,  order  the  crew  to  keep  off.  Unable  to 
comprehend  their  true  situation,  they  thought  that  the 
captain  was  recklessly  steering  the  vessel  directly  upon 
the  breakers,  and  were  at  the  point  of  seizing  the  helm 
themselves,  which  would  have  been  certain  destruction 
to  all,  when  Jack  Sanderson,  with  a  handspike,  circling 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  135 

around  his  head,  rushed  like  a  thunderbolt  into  their 
midst,  exclaiming,  — 

"  Back  —  every  soul  of  you  !  The  first  man  that 
puts  a  linger  on  that  helm  will  fall  dead  at  my  feet! 
Captain  Bruce,"  he  continued,  turning  towards  him, 
"keep  her  steady,  in  Heaven's  name,  for  one  instant 
more,  and  all  danger  will  be  over ! " 

"  Steady  it  is ! "  once  more  repeated  the  captain. 

The  men  shrank  hurriedly  away  before  the  young 
sailor's  threatening  attitude,  the  captain  stood  firm  and 
unmoved  at  the  helm,  and  the  little  craft,  under  his 
steady  hand,  dashed  swiftly  past  the  high,  perpendicular 
rock  —  but  so  thrillingly  near  that  one  might  readily 
have  jumped  from  the  vessel's  rail  upon  it,  had  its 
surface  presented  any  foothold.  Another  moment,  the 
dark  bluff  was  left  astern,  and  ahead  of  them  all  was 
apparently  open  sea.  At  this  instant,  the  stupefied 
crew  at  the  after  part  of  the  vessel  were  brought  to 
their  senses  by  a  loud  "  Hurrah ! "  from  Bill  Brown, 
who  was  the  first  to  realize  their  escape  from  the  great 
peril  to  which  they  had  been  exposed.  Nearly  at  the 
same  moment,  springing  some  four  or  five  feet  from 
the  deck,  Jack  Sanderson  lustily  cried  out, — 

"  There  !  I  told  you  she'd  go  by !  Three  cheers  for 
the  old  Sea  Gull!" 

Now  that  the  immediate  danger  was  past,  the  crew 


13G  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

of  the  little  vessel,  having  had  a  few  moments  in  which 
to  recall  their  scattered  senses,  were  reasonable  beings 
again,  and  ready  to  perform  their  respective  duties. 
But  the  Sea  Gull  was  not  yet  out  of  danger.  The 
probability  was,  that  land  would  be  discovered  again 
very  soon  ;  consequently,  a  sharp  look  out  was  kept 
with  more  than  one  pair  of  eyes. 

Not  many  minutes  elapsed  before  the  cry  of  "  Land, 
ho  !  "  reached  the  ears  of  Captain  Bruce,  who  was  now 
greatly  assisted  at  the  helm  by  the  old  pilot,  whose 
good  seamanship  and  sound  judgment  were  completely 
restored. 

The  atmosphere  was  considerably  less  dense  after 
having  passed  the  bluff,  so  that  the  land  was  discovered 
this  time  at  sufficient  distance  to  allow  them  to  "  wear  " 
—  which  movement  was  accomplished  without  delay. 
It  must  be  bome  in  mind  that  they  could  not  "  tack," 
after  the  usual  method,  for  want  of  sails ;  and  much 
more  space  is  required  to  "wear,"  and  consequently 
a  vessel  loses  ground  by  the  latter  operation,  which 
renders  it  a  difficult  matter  to  work  to  windward  when 
'obliged  to  resort  to  it. 

A  few  minutes'  sail  brought  them  again  Avithin  sight 
of  the  bluff  which  they  had.  so  narrowly  escaped;  but 
the  wind  would  not  admit  of  their  passing  it.  Hence 
orders  were   the  second  time   given  to  "  wear  ship." 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  137 

As  the  vessel  fell  off  before  the  wind,  a  massive  sea 
rolled  up  with  crushing  violence  against  her  stern, 
partially  broke  over  the  after  deck,  and  struck  the 
boat,  at  the  davits,  with  such  force  as  to  part  the 
tackles  and  lashings  as  if  they  had  been  burnt  threads, 
and  swept  it  far  away  in  the  raging  foam  like  a  feather 
before  the  blast.  The  loss  of  the  boat  was  a  serious 
matter;  but  the  sailors  were  thankful  that  no  further 
damage  was  done  by  the  sea  that  broke  over  them. 
A  greater  misfortune,  however,  was  soon  to  follow. 

Bill  Brown  still  remained  at  his  post  forward,  where 
he  had  displayed  a  manly  faithfulness  to  his  duty  that 
won  for  him  the  admiration  of  all  on  board.  As  the 
vessel  now  wore  round,  the  jib  sheet  caught  in  a  broken 
part  of  the  rail  at  the  bow.  Bill  sprang  forward  to 
relieve  it ;  but  the  rope  had  become  so  fixed  in  the 
shattered  Avood  that  he  could  not  clear  it.  Quick  as 
thought  the  daring  boy  jumped  upon  the  rail,  seized 
the  sheet  with  both  hands,  and  jerked  away  with  all 
his  strength.  At  this  moment  Jack  Sanderson  noticed 
Bill's  perilous  situation,  and  sprang  to  his  assistance, 
calling  to  him  to  jump  upon  the  deck.  But  alas !  he 
was  too  late!  A  violent  gust  of  wind  struck  the  jib, 
and  wrenched  the  sheet  from  its  confinement;  and,  as 
the  sail  flew  out  before  the  wild  blast,  the  venturesome 
boy  was  thrown  many  feet  from  the  vessel  into  the 
12* 


138  FRED   FREELAND,    OB 

rough,  dark  sea!  He  was  heard  to  exclaim,  as  he 
•went  overboard,  ".My  poor ' mother ! "  —  and  all  further 
sounds  were  drowned  .by  the  whistling  of  the  fierce  gale 
through  the  rigging,  and  the  dashing  of  the  mad  waves 
against  the  bows  of  the  Sea  Gull. 

Immediately  the  startling  cry  of  "  Man  overboard  !  " 
sounded  through  the  vessel ;  but,  sad  to  say,  very  little 
could  be  done  by  those  on  board  towards  rescuing  poor 
Bill,  if  the  schooner  had  been  in  a  condition,  even, 
to  "  heave  to,"  the  hazard  would  have  been  extremely 
great ;  nay,  certain  destruction  must  have  resulted  from 
such  an  attempt,  considering  the  severity  of  the  storm, 
and  the  proximity  of  the  breakers.  Captain  Bruce, 
with  a  true  sailor's  heart,  appealed  to  his  crew  to  know 
whether  they  would  make  the  attempt;  but  all,  even 
including  Jack  Sanderson,  were  obliged  to  admit  that 
it  would  be  sheer  madness  to  run  such  a  risk.  Hence 
nought  remained  but  to  leave  the  poor  boy  to  his  fate. 

It  was  with  sorrowful  hearts  that  these  hardy  and 
honest  fishermen  —  after  throwing  over  every  thing  at 
hand  that  would  float  —  sailed  away  from  the  place 
of  this  sad  disaster  ;  and  Jack  Sanderson,  in  particular, 
could  nowise  feel  reconciled  to  the  matter.  In  fact,  his 
shipmates  were  obliged  at  the  outset  to  lay  hands  on 
him  to  prevent  him  from  jumping  over  after  Bill. 

Directly  after  this  last  sad  accident,  the  wind  veered 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  139 

to  the  east,  and  abated  much  in  violence,  thus  allowing 
the  Sea  Gull  to  haul  her  course  so  far  off  shore  as  to 
relieve  her  crew  from  any  further  fears  of  coming  in 
contact  Avith  land.  Daybreak  soon  greeted  their  eyes, 
the  wind  lulled  to  a  moderate  breeze,  and  great  would 
have  been  the  rejoicing  on  board  the  little  vessel  but 
for  the  deep  regret  at  the  fate  of  the  daring  boy  who 
had  been  swept  overboard  while  in  the  performance  of 
his  arduous  duty.  After  some  hours  spent  by  the  crew 
of  the  Sea  Gull  in  making  repairs,  they  shaped  their 
course  anew,  under  a  very  light  breeze,  for  Hooksink. 
And  were  thus  to  be  lost  all  those  kindly  efforts  of 
Fred  and  Jenny  Freeland  to  improve  a  youth  naturally 
susceptible  of  good,  but  whose  heart  had  become  cold 
and  hardened  through  ill  treatment  and  bad  example  ? 
No,  not  lost ;  the  good  work  had  already  accomplished 
much.  Bill  had  found  it  to  be  —  as  Fred  confidently 
assured  him  would  be  the  case  —  quite  an  easy  and  a 
happy  matter  to  make  friends  rather  than  enemies, 
and  to  perform  his  duty  to  himself  and  those  around 
him.  lie  had  also  weighed  well  the  words  repeated 
to  him  by  Jenny,  that  there  "is  nothing  in  this  world 
we  should  stand  so  much  in  fear  of  as  our  own  had 
thoughts  I "  The  book,  too,  which  the  same  thoughtful 
little  girl  presented  to  him  on  his  leaving  home,  had 
imparted  to  his  mind  many  wholesome  lessons.     The 


140  FRED   FRE  ELAND,    OR 

consequence  of  all  this  was,  that  the  Bill  Brown  lost 
overboard  from  the  Sea  Gull,  during  the  storm  at  sea, 
was  a  totally  different  character,  in  many  respects,  from 
the  Bill  Brown  as  first  encountered  by  the  reader  on 
liockmount  Green. 


THE   CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  141 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE   COLLISION. 

Our  story  takes  us  back  to  Boston.  It  was  near 
the  close  of  the  second  day  after  the  storm,  of  which 
mention  has  just  been  made,  that  one  of  the  eastern 
steamers  left  her  dock  at  the  foot  of  Fort  Hill,  on  her 
regular  trip  for  the  State  of  Maine,  with  about  one 
hundred  passengers  on  board.  The  evening  was  fair, 
the  water  smooth,  and  every  thing  indicated  a  pleasant 
passage.  When  some  few  miles  down  the  harbor,  one 
of  the  English  steamships  was  seen,  at  a  short  distance, 
coming  in  under  fine  headway.  All  were  interested 
to  obtain  an  unobstructed  vieW  of  the  noble-looking 
ship  as  she  came  ploughing  her  way  along  through  the 
gently-swelling  waters ;  consequently,  the.  upper  deck 
of  the  eastward-bound  steamer  was  lined  with  eager 
spectators.  No  one  thought  of  danger,  as  sufficient 
daylight  remained  to  render  objects  distinctly  visible 
at  a  considerable  distance. 

Nearer  and  nearer  the  two  vessels  approached  each 


142  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

other,  until  the  officers  of  the  outward-bound  steamer 
suddenly  became  fearful  of  a  collision.  The  captain 
instantly  hailed,  in  a  loud  voice,  "Put  your  helm  hard 
to  port  or  you  will  run  us  down ! "  and  at  the  same 
time  he  made  the  corresponding  change  in  the  course 
of  his  own  vessel. 

From  some  unaccountable  misapprehension  in  the 
case,  however,  the  warning  was  not  heeded  in  season, 
and  on  dashed  the  massive  black  ship  as  if  conscious 
of  her  vast  advantage  in  size  and  strength  over  the 

4 

comparatively  fragile  steamer  almost  directly  under  her 
bows.  So  rapid  was  the  approach  of  the  two  vessels, 
and  so  wholly  inapprehensive  of  any  danger  had  the 
passengers  remained  up  to  the  time  of  hearing  the 
captain's  warning  voice,  that  there  was  barely  one 
moment  of  awful  consternation  before  the  bows  of  the 
gigantic  steamship  struck  the  smaller  steamer  on  the 
larboard  side,  just  abaft  the  wheel,  cutting  her  hull 
nearly  half  way  in  two,  and  making  a  fearful  breach 
that  admitted  the  water  with  a  rushing  sound  like  that 
of  a  cataract. 

Great  were  the  alarm,  confusion,  and  dismay.  The 
two  vessels  separated  in  a  very  few  moments  after  the 
collision,  and  only  some  eight  or  ten  persons  succeeded 
in  getting  on  board  the  English  steamer,  by  clinging 
about  the  bows.     After  backing  to  a  short  distance,  the 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  143 

steamship  dropped-  anchor,  and  her  officers,  crew,  and 
passengers  made  all  haste  to  launch  their  boats  and 
send  them  to  the  rescue.  Three  other  steamers  were 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  accident,  and  also  a 
large  ship,  commanded  by  Captain  Hoxie,  which  had 
just  arrived  from  Calcutta  —  all  of  which  at  once  came 
to  anchor,  and  those  on  board  prepared  to  assist  in 
taking  off  the  unfortunate  passengers.  There  were 
two  or  three  small  fishing  boats,  likewise,  which  were 
^hastened  towards  the  spot  of  the  disaster. 

In  the  mean  time  the  scene  on  board  the  ill-fated 
steamer  was  one  of  the  most  awful  and  heart-rending 
character ;  for  almost  simultaneously  with  the  crash  of 
the  collision  came  the  report  that  they  were  sinking; 
and  immediately  the  still  more  -appalling  cry  was  raised 
that  the  steamer  was  on  fire.  Alas  !  both  of  the  alarms 
proved  to  be  but  too  true.  The  bows  of  the  steamship 
had  cut  directly  into  a  small  room  on  the  deck,  used  as 
an  express  office,  and  upset  a  stove  containing  fire,  thus 
causing  an  immediate  conflagration. 

The  fire  spread  with  great  rapidity,  as  every  thing 
was  dry  and  combustible,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
greater  part  of  the  after  portion  of  the  steamer  was 
one  sheet  of  flame.  Men,  women,  and  children  were 
running  wildly  to  and  fro,  looking  after  friends,  and 
crying  for  aid.     The  captain  and  crew  made  manful 


144  FRED    FKEELAND,    OR 

exertions  to  restore  order  and  effect  the  safety  of  the 
passengers.  All,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  number 
who  had  leaped  overboard,  were  hurried  to  the  forward 
deck,  which,  as  yet,  afforded  a  place  of  safety.  The 
boats  —  five  in  number  —  were  speedily  launched ;  but 
the  first  two  were  upset,  by  the  thoughtless  haste  of 
some  of  the  passengers,  when  nearly  ready  to  leave 
the  side  of  the  steamer.  The  remaining  three  boats 
were  more  fortunate.  « After  receiving  as  many  women 
and  children  into  them  as  safety  would  allow,  they  put 
off  for  the  nearest  vessel. 

Boats  had  begun  to  arrive  from  various  quarters  at 
the  moment  of  the  capsizing  of  the  steamer's  boats,  and 
their  crews  soon  succeeded  in  rescuing  all  those  who 
had  been  thus  precipitated  into  the  water,  and  also 
such  as  had  leaped  overboard  almost  at  the  first  alarm. 

There  were  yet  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  human 
beings  on  the  burning  wreck,  who  were  all  crowded 
into  a  small  space  on  the  forward  part  of  the  deck, 
where  they  were  nearly  surrounded,  and  momentarily 
•  threatened,  by  the  devouring  element.  Among  this 
group  were  a  number  of  women  and  children,  and  it 
became  necessary  to  lift  them  over  the  railing  into 
the  water,  that  they  might  be  rescued  by  the  boats, 
as  the  steamer  could  now  be  approached  only  directly 
under  the  bow. 


THE    CHAUr    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  145 

Fortunately  there  yet  remained  on  board  the  doomed 
vessel  two  or  three  resolute  and  self-sacrificing  men, 
who  were  determined  not  to  leave  until  the  safety  of 
every  woman  and  child  had  been  effected.  By  the 
encouraging  words  and  manful  deeds  of  these  noble 
characters,  —  true  to  the  last,  —  the  deck  was  being 
fast  cleared  of  its  remaining  occupants.  Eight  or  ten 
individuals  still  lingered;  but  the  flames  were  rapidly 
encroaching  upon  their  scanty  foothold,  and  would,  most 
probably,  in  a  moment  more  sweep  over  the  spot  they 
then  occupied. 

"Jump,  every  one  of  you, — jump,  for  your  lives!" 
shouted  a  gentleman  who  had  been  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  in  aiding  the  women  and  children. 

The  warning  was  timely;  for,  the  next  moment,  a 
cloud  of  suffocating  smoke  and  flame  was  driven  so 
furiously  towards  them  as  to  cause  nearly  all  to  leap 
overboard,  without  an  instant's  delay,  and  they  were 
at  once  taken  into  the  boats.  The  gentleman  above 
alluded  to,  however,  still  remained  on  the  deck.  One 
hand  rested  on  the  rail,  as  if  he  were  prepared  for  a 
leap  overboard,  while  the  other  held  securely  the  hand 
of  a  little  girl,  apparently  about  eight  years  of  age. 

This  gentleman  and  his  little  daughter  were  our  good 
Rockmount  friends,  Mr.  Freeland  and  Jenny.  A  letter 
had  been  received  that  morning  from  the  owner  of  the 
19  JT 


146  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

Sea  Gull,  at  Hooksink,  informing  Mr.  Freeland  that 
the  arrival  of  that  vessel  was  looked  for  daily.  This 
information  was  based  on  the  intelligence  forwarded  by 
Captain  Bruce  just  previous  to  the  storm  —  no  later 
news  having  been  received  from  the  vessel.  It  was 
in  consequence  of  this  letter  that  Mr.  Freeland  and 
Jenny  had  embarked  in  the  ill-fated  steamer,  with  the 
expectation  of  meeting  Bill  Brown  at  Hooksink. 

"Jenny,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  as  he  glanced  hastily 
around  the  burning  structure,  as  if  to  satisfy  himself 
that  all  others  had  left  it,  —  "  Jenny,  I  believe  we  are 
the  last,  and  we  must  not  lose  a  moment,  for  the  flames 
are  close  upon  us.  O,  my  child,  how  I  wish  you  had 
gone  in  one  of  the  steamer's  boats,  as  you  might  have 
done !     But  does  your  courage  still  hold  out  ? " 

"  Yes,  father ;  I  know  that  God  will  protect  us,  for 
poor  Fred's  sake.  I'm  not  a  bit  afraid  to  do  whatever 
you  say;  but  I  couldn't  have  gone  in  the  boat  and 
left  you  here!" 

"  Come,  then,  quick  ! "  cried  her  father,  as  Jenny 
seemed  to  hesitate,  with  her  eyes  directed  to  the  other 
side  of  the  deck. 

"  Help !  O,  help  ! "  screamed  a  young  woman,  in  the 
direction  of  Jenny's  gaze,  as  she  vainly  struggled  to 
free  herself  from  the  weight  of  a  heavy  cask  that  had 
rolled  against  her.     She  had  fled  away  unobserved,  in 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  147 

her  fright,  a  moment  before,  when  Mr.  Frceland  gave 
the  alarm  that  caused  the  other  passengers  to  throw 
themselves  overboard. 

"  O  father !  "  exclaimed  Jenny,  who  was  the  first  to 
discover  that  the  woman  could  not  escape;  "just  see 
that  lady  fast  behind  the  cask !  Can't  you  help  her  ? 
I'll  hold  on  here  by  the  railing  till  you  come  back." 

"  I  must  try  to  rescue  her ;  but  look  well  to  your 
own  safety,  my  dear  child,  and  jump  into  the  water 
if  the  flames  come  nearer.     I'll  be  back  in  a  moment." 

Saying  this,  Mr.  Freeland  leaped  through  the  heat 
and  smoke  to  the  assistance  of  the  young  woman, 
rescued  her  from  her  perilous  situation,  and  dropped 
her  over  that  side  of  the  steamer  into  the  water  just 
in  time  to  save  her  from  the  flames.  She  was  safely 
taken  into  one  of  the  boats. 

Mr.  Freeland  instantly  turned  his  attention  back  to 
Jenny,  and  was  thankful  to  see  that  she  still  occupied 
a  safe  place,  although  she  had  been  obliged  to  retreat 
to  the  extreme  bow.  With  a  word  of  encouragement  he 
sprang  towards  her ;  but  the  fire  now  burst  furiously 
through  the  deck,  directly  between  him  and  his  child, 
and  so  very  near  to  his  face  that  its  bright-red  glare 
for  a  moment  completely  blinded  his  sight,  while  ils 
force,  combined  with  the  fierce  heat,  caused  him  to 
stagger  backward  and  almost  fall. 


148  IKED    1IIEELAXD,    OR 

The  men  in  the  nearest  boats  called  loudly  to  Jenny 
to  throw  herself  into  the  water.  Still  the  affectionate 
child  stood  firm,  being  determined  to  see  if  her  father 
could  escape.  Mr.  Freeland  saw  at  a  glance  that  it 
was  then  impossible  for  him  to  approach  his  daughter, 
and  that  her  safety  wholly  depended  upon  her  own 
exertions.     Hence  he  instantly  called  out  to  her, — 

"Jenny,  are  you  still  safe?" 

"  Yes,  father ;  but  don't  you  try  to  come  to  me.  I'll 
jump  over  here,  and  you  do  the  same  on  that  side." 

"Do  so,  then,  without  a  moment's  delay,  my  dear 
child ;  and  may  God  protect  you  ! " 

Instantly  she  was  seen  upon  the  railing,  steadying 
her  slight  form  by  the  stock  of  the  anchor,  and  as  she 
stood  there  with  the  flames  almost  wholly  encircling 
her,  yet  harming  her  not,  the  witnesses  to  the  thrilling 
scene  were  well-nigh  led  to  believe  that  she  possessed 
a  charmed  life.     Once  more  she  called, — 

"Father!  I  am  all  rrady.  Can  you  get  off  safely 
from  that  side?" 

"  Yes.  Now  jump,  in  Heaven's  name,  or  you  are 
lost ! " 

"  Father  !  father ! "  screamed  Jenny.  "  This  way  ! 
Quick !  quick !  Don't  you  see  the  fire  is  much  worse 
on  the  other  side  of  the  vessel  than  on  this?" 

Mr.  Freeland  glanced  behind  him,  and,  true  enough, 


THE    CIIAIX    OF    CIRCUMSTAN'CES.  149 

the  fire  had  extended  wholly  to  the  bow  on  that  side, 
thus  cutting  off  all  hope  of  escape  in  that  direction. 
He  stood  near  the  pilot  house ;  and  he  thought  he 
could  discover  that  the  flames  formed  an  eddy  at  the 
moment  round  about  it.  Taking  advantage  of  the 
circumstance,  he  dashed  safely  through  the  opening 
thus  partially  made  ;  and,  almost  at  the  same  instant 
that  father  and  child  leaped  unharmed  from  the  railing, 
the  devouring  element  swept  rapidly  over  the  places 
their  feet  had  just  pressed  —  thus  licking  up,  in  its 
relentless  fury,  the  last  portion  of  the  upper  works  of 
that  recently-beautiful  structure. 
13* 


150  FRED   FREELAND,    OK 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

ACCIDENT   TO   JENN'Y. 

Mr.  Freeland  struck  the  water  at  several  yards' 
distance  from  Jenny ;  but  he  was  an  expert  swimmer, 
and  a  few  bold  strokes  brought  him  within  reach  of 
her  before  any  of  the  boats  had  approached  sufficiently 
near  to  render  assistance.  He  was  about  to  seize  her 
by  one  hand,  which  she  had  extended  towards  him, 
when  a  portion  of  the  upper  works  of  the  steamer, 
crumbling  away  before  the  fierce  heat,  came  tumbling 
over  the  side  directly  about  their  heads,  and  his  arm 
was  struck  above  the  elbow  by  one  of  the  fragments 
and  rendered  wholly  useless  for  the  time,  though  he 
fortunately  received  no  other  injury.  His  eye  had  not 
for  a  single  instant  been  withdrawn  from  Jenny,  who, 
notwithstanding  the  fiery  ruins  lay  thickly  around  her, 
had  almost  miraculously  escaped  uninjured.  At  this 
moment  a  little  fishing  boat,  containing  two  men,  shot 
up  close  to  Mr.  Freeland,  when  he  exclaimed, — 

"Never  mind  me  —  save  my  child!" 


THE    CHAIX    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  151 

"  Yes,  yes,"  replied  one  of  the  men ;  "  we  will  save 
you  both." 

Perceiving  that  Mr.  Freeland  could  use  but  one 
arm,  the  man  in  the  after  part  of  the  boat  caught 
hold  of  his  coat  collar,  and  commenced  pulling  him 
on  board,  while  the  one  nearer  the  bow  turned  his 
attention  to  Jenny,  whose  clothing  still  buoyed  her  up. 
As  he  reached  towards  her,  the  boat  careened  till  its 
gunwale  was  near  the  water's  edge;  and  his  knee  at 
the  moment  coming  in  contact  with  the  little  anchor, 
as  it  rested  with  one  fluke  upon  the  gunwale,  it  was 
precipitated  over  the  side  just  as  he  was  about  to  seize 
the  child's  floating  dress.  The  sudden  splash  of  the 
anchor  caused  the  man  to  fail  in  his  intention ;  and 
before  he  could  recover  himself  for  a  second  effort, 
Jenny  threw  up  both  hands  wildly  above  her  head, 
with  the  exclamation,  "  O,  my  dear  brother  Fred ! " 
The  next  instant  the  waters  had  closed  over  the  head 
of  that  sweet  child  whose  latest  thought  was  for  that 
unfortunate  brother  who  was  dearer  to  her  than  life 
itself. 

Great  excitement  now  prevailed.  It  was  evident 
that  the  anchor,  in  its  descent,  had  hooked  into  some 
part  of  Jenny's  clothing  and  dragged  her  helplessly  to 
the  bottom.  The  line  usually  attached  to  the  anchor 
had  been  previously  removed  for  the  purpose  of  lashing 


152  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

together  some  trunks  saved  from  the  steamer,  otherwise 
the  child  might  have  been  drawn  up  to  the  surface 
without  difficulty.  Mr.  Freeland  was  almost  distracted 
when  he  realized  the  hopelessness  of  the  case,  and  was 
only  prevented  from  diving  after  Jenny,  crippled  as  he 
was  in  one  arm,  by  the  main  strength  of  the  men  in 
the  boat. 

"  0  Heaven !  "  he  exclaimed,  in  the  fulness  of  his 
anguish;  "will  no  one  make  the  attempt  to  save  my 
dear  child?" 

"Yes;  /will,"  replied  a  noble  young  tar  in  Captain 
Hoxie's  boat ;  and,  divesting  himself  of  a  portion  of  his 
clothing,  he  plunged  head  foremost  into  the  water. 

A  few  moment's  elapsed,  and  the  generous  sailor 
rose  to  the  surface;  but,  alas!  he  was  alone.  To  the 
many  questions  that  were  hurriedly  put  to  him,  as  he 
was  taken  into  the  boat,  he  replied, — 

"We  are  on  the  edge  of  the  channel.  I  think  no 
man  can  reach  bottom;  but  I'll  try  again." 

The  noble  fellow  plunged  resolutely  in  the  second 
time,  and  was  immediately  followed  by  two  men  from 
another  boat.  As  they  rose  to  the  surface,  however, 
one  after  another,  they  were  all  compelled  to  repeat 
the  same  sad  words  —  none  of  them  could  dive  to  the 
bottom. 

Mr.  Freeland  groaned  aloud  at  these  disheartening 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIUCUMSTA>XES.  153 

announcements,  and  exclamations  of  deep  sorrow  and 
sympathy  were  uttered  by  those  around  him.  As  he 
bowed  his  head  between  his  knees  in  utter  despair, 
a  silent  and  oppressive  gloom  —  such  as  ever  weighs 
upon  the  mind  in  cases  where  every  thing  has  been 
done,  without  avail,  to  rescue  a  fellow-being  from  an 
untimely  death  —  pervaded  that  entire  assemblage  of 
sympathizing  friends.  This  almost  deathlike  stillness 
contrasted  strangely  with  the  wild  tumult  and  confusion 
that  had  reigned  on  and  about  the  steamer  but  a  Bhort 
time  previous.  They  were  suddenly  aroused,  however, 
from  this  momentary  state  of  despondency  by  a  loud 
shout  of  encouragement  in  the  direction  of  the  British 
steamship. 

"  What  means  that  noise  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Freehold, 
springing  energetically  to  his  feet.  "  Hark  !  there  it  is 
again  ! " 

The  sounds  were  now  much  more  distinct ;  and  the 
fast -dying  hope  in  Mr.  Freehand's  breast  was  revived 
as  he  heard  the  cry,  passed  from  boat  to  boat, — 

"  Here  comes  '  Foolish  John ! '  Make  way  —  make 
way  for  '  Foolish  John  ! ' " 

All  eyes  were  turned  in  the  same  direction ;  and  the 
bright  light  from  the  burning  steamer  disclosed  very 
clearly  a  little  boat,  containing  but  a  single  oarsman, 
approaching  the  spot  with  wonderful  rapidity.     Indeed, 


154  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

the  two  oars  were  plied  with  an  exquisite  skill  and 
herculean  strength  that  astonished  all  beholders. 

As  the  solitary  boatman  drew  nearer  the  place  of 
the  sad  disaster,  the  boats  already  present  were  moved 
rapidly  to  the  right  and  left,  making  for  him  a  clear 
passage,  through  which  his  little  skiff  darted  alnux-t 
with  the  swiftness  of  a  bird.  Making  his  way  directly 
alongside  the  boat  which  contained  Mr.  Freeland,  he 
suddenly  drew  in  his  oars,  sprang  to  his  feet,  and 
leaped  with  the  quickness  of  a  deer  to  that  gentleman's 
side ;  while  his  boat  shot  swiftly  off  to  a  considerable 
distance,  where  it  was  secured  and  brought  back  by 
some  of  the  company. 

"The  Boston  pilot  on  board  the  big  steamship  told 
me,  as  I  was  coming  past,  that  a  little  girl,  named 
Jenny  Freeland,  was  drowning  ;  and  I  thought  at  once 
that  it  must  be  my  Jenny  —  but  I'll  save  her,"  said 
Foolish  John,  as  he  threw  off  his  hat  and  coat. 

"  Ah,  John,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  mournfully,  "  I  fear 
you  are  too  late  to  save  Jenny's  life  ;  but  it  will  be 
a  sad  consolation  if  you  can  recover  her  body." 

"Where  did  she  sink?"  hurriedly  asked  the  young 
man. 

"Just  ahead  of  this  boat,  I  should  think,"  replied 
Mr.  Freeland. 

Without  another  word  Foolish  John  sprang  to  the 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  155 

bows,  leaped  high  into  the  air,  and  plunged  headlong 
into  the  water.  So  sudden  had  been  his  appearance 
and  disappearance,  that  many  of  the  sailors  were  half 
inclined  to  look  upon  him  as  some  superhuman  being 
who  had  either  made  his  descent  from  the  heavens, 
or  come  up  from  the  depths  of  the  ocean ;  but  whether 
for  weal  or  woe,  they  were  as  yet  unable  to  determine. 
But  the  pilots  from  the  different  steamers,  as  well  as 
the  harbor  boatmen,  all  knew  Foolish  John  well ;  and, 
consequently,  the  information  was  speedily  circulated 
throughout  the  fleet  of  boats,  that  he  was  the  most 
expert  swimmer  and  diver  in  the  state. 

A  few  moments  elapsed,  when  Foolish  John  emerged 
half  his  length  out  of  water,  and  struck  out  for  one  of 
the  boats.  But  he' had  not  recovered  the  little  girl. 
To  the  numerous  questions  addressed  to  him  he  briefly 
replied,  — 

"  I  found  her  —  give  me  a  knife  ! " 

As  he  quickly  pulled  himself  into  the  bows  of  the 
boat,  some  one  handed  him  a  jackknife.  He  instantly 
opened  it,  and,  without  waiting  a  moment,  plunged  in 
again  as  before. 

Mr.  Frecland,  who  had  watched  all  the  movements 
of  John  with  breathless  anxiety,  now  shook  his  head 
mournfully,  groaned  aloud,  and  exclaimed, — 

"  Too  late !  too  late  !     O,  my  poor  lost  child ! " 


156  FRED   FREELAXD,    OR 

"  Do  not  despair,  my  dear  sir,"  said  Captain  Hoxie, 
who  commanded  his  ship's  boat  in  person.  "  I  have 
often  known  people  to  be  resuscitated  after  remaining 
under  water  a  longer  time  than  has  been  the  case,  as 
yet,  with  your  daughter.  I  feel  confident  that  J  Foolish 
John,'  as  they  call  him,  will  be  successful  this  time, 
for  he  wanted  the  knife,  evidently,  to  cut  her  clothing 
free  from  the  anchor,  which  keeps  her  down." 

"  Heaven  grant  that  your  opinion  prove  correct," 
replied  Mr.  Freeland,  doubtingly. 

"  My  boys,"  said  Captain  Hoxie  to  his  sailors,  "  be 
all  ready  to  pick  them  up  the  moment  they  come  to 
the  surface,  and  then  pull,  my  hearties,  to  the  steamship, 
where  we  shall  find  a  surgeon.  Come,  Mr.  Freeland," 
continued  the  captain,  "  step  right  aboard  here,  for  I 
think  my  gig  is  the  swiftest  boat  in  the  fleet." 

Mr.  Freeland  at  once  complied  with  the  request ; 
but  scarcely  was  the  change  effected  when  a  cry  of 
joy  reached  him  from  some  one  near  by.  Turning 
at  once,  he  beheld  Foolish  John,  with  Jenny  drawn 
across  his  shoulders,  making  directly  for  his  own  boat, 
from  which  he  was  then  only  a  few  feet  distant.  On 
reaching  his  skiff,  he  gently  lifted  his  lifeless  burden 
into  it,  and  the  next  moment  pulled  himself  in  over 
the  bows.  He  spread  out  his  sea  coat,  and  placed  the 
child  upon  it  in  such  a  position  that  the  water  could 


THE    CHAIN   OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  157 

flow  readily  from  her  mouth ;  and  then,  seizing  his  oars, 
he  caused  his  boat  to  shoot  off  like  an  arrow  in  the 
direction  of  the  British  steamer. 

All  this  was  the  work  of  a  moment.  So  sudden  and 
rapid  had  been  John's  movements,  that  every  person 
was  taken  by  surprise.  Captain  Hoxie  was  the  first 
to  regain  his  self-possession. 

''Man  your  oars,  boys,  and  give  chase!"  exclaimed 
the  captain,  as  he  seized  the  tiller.  "  This  John  seems 
to  be  no  fool,  after  all ;  still  Ave  had  better  overhaul  him 
as  soon  as  possible." 

The  two  sailors  seized  their  oars,  and,  in  a  moment, 
the  light  gig  was  off  in  rapid  pursuit,  while  the  other 
boats  followed  at  some  distance  astern. 

"  Where  are  you  going,  John?"  Mr.  Freeland  called, 
as  the  two  boats  glided  swiftly  through  the  water. 

"I  thought  I  would  take  her  to  the  big  steamship," 
he  replied ;  "  because  they've  got  a  doctor  aboard." 

"Very  well,  John,"  rejoined  Mr.  Freeland;  "but  it 
would  have  been  better,  perhaps,  if  you  had  put  her 
into  this  boat,  for  not  one  moment  should  be  lost." 

"  I  thought  I  could  get  there  first,"  responded  John ; 
"but  when  you  overhaul  me  I'll  change  her  into  your 
boat;"  and  he  bent  to  his  oars  with  increased  energy. 

Captain  Hoxie  quickly  discovered  that  the  distance 
between  Foolish  John's  boat  and  his  own  was  slightly 
14 


158  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

increasing,  notwithstanding  his  boat  was  manned  by  his 
two  best  oarsmen,  who  had  won  many  a  little  friendly 
race  in  this  same  gig,  matched  against  boats  of  its  own 
class.  He  urged  his  men  to  greater  exertion. 
-  "  Pull  hearty,  my  boys  ! "  he  cried.  "  I  would  not 
deprive  that  good  fellow  of  any  of  the  laurels  he  has 
so  nobly  won,  but  a  few  moments  gained  in  placing 
the  child  under  medical  treatment  may  be  of  great 
importance.     Pull,  boys,  and  with  a  will!" 

They  did  pull,  and  bravely,  too,  and  their  gallant 
little  boat  sped  through  the  still  water  like  a  dolphin. 
Foolish  John,  however,  was  an  extraordinary  oarsman, 
and  possessed  great  physical  strength;  and,  foolish  as 
he  was,  he  realized  sufficiently  the  importance  of  the 
case  to  cause  him  to  put  forth  all  his  powers ;  and 
his  little  skiff  seemed  fairly  to  leap  over  the  water  as 
he  bent  his  ashen  oars  to  their  utmost  tension.  The 
space  between  the  two  boats  visibly  increased.  The 
whole  distance  to  be  accomplished,  from  the  starting 
point,  was  not  more  than  twenty-five  rods ;  yet,  when 
Foolish  John  reached  the  side  of  the  steamship,  the 
ten  yards'  lead  which  he  took  at  the  outset  had  widened 
into  forty. 

The  moment  his  boat  touched  the  side  of  the  ship, 
John  caught  up  the  still  lifeless  body  of  Jenny  under 
his  left  arm,  seized  his  painter  in  the  same  hand,  and 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  159 

with  the  aid  of  the  other  made  his  way  up  the  steps 
at  the  ship's  side  with  all  haste.  Leaping  upon  the 
deck,  which  was  full  of  people,  he  hurriedly  asked, — 

"  Which  way  ?  where's  the  doctor  ?     Quick !  quick ! " 

"  Here,"  said  Dr.  Seymour,  surgeon  of  the  steamer, 
as  he  relieved  John  of  his  precious  burden. 

At  this  moment  Mr.  Freeland  reached  the  deck, 
when  Jenny  was  borne  at  once  to  a  room  where  every 
preparation  had  been  made  for  her  resuscitation,  as  the 
pilot  had  easily  succeeded  in  imparting  to  Dr.  Seymour 
his  own  confidence  in  Foolish  John's  speedy  success  in 
the  recovery  of  the  child,  and  as  the  numerous  boats 
plying  continually  between  the  scene  of  the  accident 
and  the  steamship  had  formed  a  line  for  the  rapid 
transmission  of  intelligence  over  that  short  distance. 
With  the  exception  of  Mr.  Freeland,  and  one  or  two 
female  assistants,  none  were  allowed  to  enter  the  room  ; 
for  the  surgeon  was  well  aware  of  the  danger  of  having 
too  much  aid  in  such  a  case. 

While  the  passengers  on  the  deck  of  the  steamship 
were  awaiting,  with  much  anxiety,  the  result  of  the 
efforts  to  resuscitate  Jenny,  they  could  not  but  give  a 
few  moments'  attention  to  the  truly  grand  and  imposing 
spectacle  of  the  burning  vessel.  The  light  combustible 
stuff  which,  earlier  in  the  pvening,  had  given  such  force 
and  brilliancy  to  the  flames,  was  all  consumed ;  but 


160  FRED   FREELAXD,    OE 

the  more  substantial  parts  of  the  hull,  and  the  large 
body  of  coal  for  use  during  the  passage,  together  with 
the  machinery,  —  now  one  mass  of  red-hot  iron,  — 
shone  forth  upon  the  water  in  one  incessant,  terrible, 
awe-inspiring  glare,  impressing  o^e  with  the  idea  of  an 
immense  furnace  in  full  blast  for  the  accomplishment 
of  some  stupendous  work  conceived  by  the  ingenuity 
of  man. 

'As  all  eyes  were  riveted  to  the  spot,  a  large  fiery 
fissure  opened  near  the  centre,  the  machinery  reeled, 
tottled,  and  fell,  and  the  whole  burning  fabric,  giving 
a  lurch  to  one  side,  wa3  gradually  submerged,  casting 
a  large  column  of  dark,  dense  steam  high  into  the  air, 
and  causing  the  water  round  about  to  heave  and  boil 
like  some  vast  caldron ;  while  protracted,  hissing  sounds 
were  sent  forth  upon  the  light  evening  breeze  —  as  the 
glowing  coals  and  heated  iron  came  in  contact  with  the 
water  —  resembling,  as  one  might  imagine,  the  noises 
of  a  myriad  of  serpents  suddenly  disturbed  in  their 
dark  retreat. 

Thus  was  consumed  before  the  wasting  element  that 
highly-useful  and  ingenious  structure  which,  one  hour 
before,  ranked  high  among  the  noble  specimens  of  the 
handiwork  of  man. 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  161 


CHAPTEE    XIX. 

JOY. BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   FOOLISH  JOHN. 

After  having  resigned  Jenny  into  the  hands  of  Dr. 
Seymour,  Foolish  John  commenced  a  rapid  walk  back 
and  forth  past  the  door  of  the  room  into  -which  she 
had  been  taken,  wholly  regardless  of  the  attention  he 
was  attracting  from  the  large  company  present.  Dry 
clothing  was  offered  him,  —  a  kindness  shown  to  every 
one  whose  situation  rendered  such  a  change  desirable, 
—  but  he  declined  the  favor,  simply  remarking  that 
salt  water  never  hurt  him. 

A  large  number  of  the  passengers  from  the  ill-fated 
steamer  had  been  transferred  to  the  English  steamship, 
and  several  of  them  had  witnessed  Jenny's  womanly 
conduct  during  the  trying  scene.  Some  few  others 
were  knowing  to  the  unfortunate  affair  in  which  her 
brother  wag  involved,  and  were  aware  that  she  had 
been  unremitting  in  her  kind  attentions  to  him  during 
his  imprisonment.  Consequently,  as  these  facts  became 
generally  known  throughout  the  company,  it  was  no 
14*  K 


162  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

ordinary  interest  that  was  manifested  for  the  little  girl's 
fate,  and  no  slight  sympathy  for  the  father  that  had 
touched  every  heart. 

When,  after  the  lapse  of  a  few  minutes,  some  one 
ventured  to  inquire  of  the  surgeon  with  regard  to  the 
success  at  resuscitation,  and  was  informed  that  no  signs 
of  life  had  been  discovered,  a  murmur  of  deep  sorrow 
passed  through  the  crowd.  As  Foolish  John  heard 
the  expressions,  "  Poor  child ! "  "  She's  gone ! "  "  She's 
dead  !  "  he  suddenly  halted  in  his  rapid  pace,  and  said, 
apparently  to  himself,  "  No,  no  ;  she  isn't  dead  ! "  and 
immediately  renewed  his  hurried  walk. 

A  few  minutes  passed,  when  the  same  inquiry  was 
the  second  time  made,  and  the  same  sad  answer  was 
returned;  and  again  John  stopped  short  in  his  course, 
repeating,  with  much  earnestness,  "  No,  no ;  she  is  not 
dead!" 

The  kind  surgeon  and  his  assistants  still  continued 
their  efforts,  though  working  almost  without  hope,  and 
applied  all  the  means  within  their  knowledge  to  the 
inanimate  form  before  them.  Presently  there  seemed 
to  be  some  excitement  in  the  room ;  the  door  was  soon 
opened  from  the  inside ;  joyous  smiles  met  the  anxious 
faces  without,  and  the  soul-thrilling  words  were  uttered, 
"  She  lives  !  she  lives  !  "  And  the  next  moment  were 
heard  the  deep,  impressive  tones  of  Mr.  Freeland's 


THE   CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  163 

voice,  "God  be  praised  for  his  great  mercifulness  to 
me,  a  poor  feeble  mortal!" 

As  soon  as  Foolish  John  realized  that  Jenny's  breath 
had  been  restored,  his  countenance  all  at  once  seemed 
to  glow  with  perfect  happiness.  Stopping  suddenly  in 
his  walk,  he  rubbed  his  hand  with  great  rapidity  back 
and  forth  over  his  forehead,  exclaiming,—  " 

"  There  —  I  knew  she  wasn't  dead ! " 

"  Why  were  you  so  certain  all  the  time,  John,  that 
the  little  girl  was  not  dead  ? "  inquired  Captain  Hoxie. 

"  O,"  replied  John,  as  his  half-vacant  look  gave  place 
to  a  transient  gleam  of  intelligence,  — "  O,  the  soul 
never  dies ;  and  Jenny  Freeland  is  all  soul ! " 

Every  eye  was  turned,  with  astonishment,  to  Foolish 
John  as  he  uttered  these  words ;  but  the  flash  of  reason 
had  disappeared,  and  nought  remained  save  the  usual 
blank  that  marked  his  countenance  —  a  painful  contrast 
with  his  appearance  a  moment  before. 

Jenny  soon  became  conscious  of  her  situation,  and 
learned  from  her  father  who  it  was  that  had  rescued 
her  from  a  watery  grave.  She  at  once  expressed  a 
wish  to  see  John,  and  Mr.  Freeland  proceeded  to  the 
deck  in  search  of  him.  He  ascertained  upon  inquiry, 
however,  that  the  moment  the  good-hearted  felloAV  was 
satisfied  as  to  the  certainty  of  Jenny's  resuscitation,  he 
had  taken  to  his  boat,  and  was  then  at  a  considerable 


164  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

distance  on  his  way  up  the  harbor.  The  little  patient 
was  much  disappointed  when  she  heard  that  John  had 
left  the  ship ;  but  she  consoled  herself  with  the  promise 
of  seeing  and  thanking  him  on  the  morrow. 

Dr.  Seymour  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  it  would 
not  be  prudent  to  remove  Jenny  that  night,  although 
she  continued  to  recover  quite  rapidly,  and  her  father, 
consequently,  at  once  decided  to  remain  on  board  till 
the  next  morning. 

"Mr.  Freeland,"  said  Captain  Hoxie,  as  he  was 
thinking  of  taking  his  departure  for  his  own  ship,  "I 
am  happy  to  know  that  your  little  daughter  is  past 
all  danger.  Judging  by  present  appearances,  she  will 
be  quite  well  in  the  morning." 

"I  trust  so,"  replied  Mr.  Freeland ;  "  and  I  am  under 
lasting  obligations  to  you,  sir,  for  your  great  exertions 
and  kindness  this  evening." 

"  Don't  say  a  word  about  that,"  rejoined  the  captain. 
"  The  fact  is,  all  our  exertions  would  have  amounted  to 
nought,  so  far  as  your  daughter's  rescue  from  drowning 
is  concerned,  had  it  not  been  for  Foolish  John.  We 
who  boast  mox*e  wisdom  may  well  take  pattern  after 
his  truly  noble  conduct.  His  intellect,  I  think,  is  not 
destroyed,  but  merely  obscured ;  and  I  should  not  be 
surprised  to  hear,  at  no»  far-distant  day,  that  some 
fortunate  circumstance  had  cleared  away  all  the  mist 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  165 

from  his  brain,  and  left  his  reason  free.  It  would  be 
gratifying  to  me  to  know  something  of  his  history." 

"  And  so  would  it  be  to  me,"  added  Dr.  Seymour. 
"  There  is  something  in  his  appearance  that  interested 
me  from  the  first  moment  I  saw  him.  I  think  Captain 
Hoxie's  remark  on  his  intellect  is  correct." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Mr.  Freeland, ."  I  "will  ascertain 
if  my  daughter  requires,  any  thing  at  my  hands,  and 
if  she  does  not,  I  will  then  briefly  give  you  the  desired 
information  concerning  this  youth  in  whom  you  take 
so  much  interest." 

Having  learned  from  Jenny  that  she  was  every  way 
comfortable,  and  felt  inclined  to  sleep,  Mr.  Freeland 
left  her  under  the  kind  care  of  two  lady  passengers, 
and  returned  to  fulfil  his  promise  to  the  group  he  had 
quitted  a  moment  before. 

"The  name  of  the  unfortunate  young  man  who  has 
this  evening  placed  me  under  an  ever-abiding  debt  of 
gratitude  to  him,"  commenced  Mr.  Freeland,  "  is  John 
Fox ;  but  for  three  or  four  years  past  he  has  been 
known  altogether  by  the  appellation  of  ' Foolish  John' 
He  is  an  only  child.  His  mother  lives  in  Rockmount, 
not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  my  house.  She 
is  respected  by  all  who  know  her  as  an  industrious, 
worthy  woman.  Her  husbafid  —  whose  fate  is  still 
shrouded  in  mystery  —  was  a  well-known  fisherman  in 


166  FRED   FREELAXD,    OR 

Boston  Bay,  where  he  pursued  his  business  for  many- 
years  in  a  little  smack  of  his  own,  and  very  frequently 
assisted  by  no  one  but  John,  who  was  a  remarkably 
smart,  intelligent  lad  up  to  the  age  of  thirteen,  at  which 
time  an  accident  befell  him  —  though  its  nature  still 
remains  unexplained  —  that  left  his  fine  intellect  in  the 
shattered  condition  which  we  now  see. 

"  John  was  an  exceedingly*  bright  scholar,  and  in 
several  branches  of  education  was  far  in  advance  of 
boys  a  year  or  two  older  than  himself,  notwithstanding 
he  had  accompanied  his  father  in  his  boat  through  all 
the  summer  seasons  from  the  time  he  was  nine  years 
old.  His  parents  looked  upon  him  with  much  pride ; 
and  well  they  might,  for  he  bade  fair  to  become  one 
of  our  sound,  practical,  self-taught,  useful  men  —  of 
whom  we  cannot  have  too  many. 

"It  is  now  something  more  than  four  years  since 
Mr.  Fox  and  John  left  home,  early  one  morning,  and 
proceeded  down  the  harbor  in  their  little  smack  to  the 
fishing  ground.  From  that  day  to  this  there  has  been 
nothing  but  conjecture  with  regard  to  the  accident  that 
befell  them.  The  suppositions  are,  however,  —  as  a 
terrific  thunder  tempest  occurred  on  the  evening  of 
that  day,  —  that  the  boat  was  struck  and  sunk  by 
lightning,  or  run  down  by  some  vessel,  without  the 
knowledge   of  those   on    board,   in    the   darkness    and 


THE    CHAIN    OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  167 

fury  of  the  storm,  and  that  Mr.  Fox  met  with  his 
death  either  by  lightning  or  drowning. 

"  No  intelligence  of  the  boat  or  of  Mr.  Fox  has  ever 
been  received ;  but  John  was  discovered  on  the  beach 
of  one  of  the  islands  on  the  morning  after  the  tempest, 
in  an  insensible  state,  by  some  fishermen  who  had 
taken  shelter  there  from  the  gale.  Mr.  Fox  always 
carried  two  life  preservers  in  his  boat,  and  one  of  these 
was  found  upon, John.  This  had  prevented  him  from 
sinking,  while  the  tide  and  wind  drifted  him  to  the 
shore.  He  showed  signs  of  life  very  soon  after  being 
discovered,  and  was  made  as  comfortable  as  possible  by 
the  fishermen  while  they  were  conveying  him  home. 
The  only  marks  of  injury  upon  him  were  some  slight 
bruises  about  the  body,  and  a  severe  contusion  on  the 
head. 

"  In  a  week's  time  John  had  apparently  recovered 
from  all  bodily  injury;  but  he  could  never  give  the 
least  account  of  the  accident  that  happened  to  them 
on  that  dreadful  night.  His  reason  was  one  complete, 
confused  wreck ;  his  intellect  was  a  blank ;  and  poor 
Mrs.  Fox,  in  addition  to  the  sudden  and  mysterious 
death  of  her  husband,  had  also  to  mourn  over  the  loss 
of  her  darling  boy's  reason.  She  bore  up  under  this 
double  affliction,  however,  with  the  fortitude  of  a  true 
Christian,  and  was  most  thankful  to  discover,  shortly, 


168  FRED   FKEELAND,   OB 

that  her  son  was  not  only  capable  of  taking  care  of 
himself,  but  likewise  of  doing  much  for  her. 

"  Previous  to  that  accident  John  was  so  small  and 
slender  for  his  years,  that  his  friends  felt  some  alarm 
on  account  of  his  physical  developments ;  but  directly 
after  that  painful  event  his  growth  became  remarkably 
rapid,  as  if  the  same  causes  which  had  been  heretofore 
producing,  perhaps,  a  premature  development  of  the 
intellect,  then  began  to  operate  with  equal  power  "upon 
his  physical  system.  And  now,  at  little  more  than 
seventeen  years  of  age,  we  see  him  standing  nearly 
six  feet  in  height,  proportionally  stout,  and  possessing 
muscular  strength  surpassed  only  by  few  men  in  the 
community. 

"  As  soon  as  John  was  able  to  work,  after  the  loss 
of  his  father,  he  furnished  with  fishing  gear  the  little 
boat  which  he  occupied  this  evening,  and  commenced 
the  business  of  supplying  the  Rockmount  market  with 
uesh  fish.  He  was  on  his  way  home  from  the  fishing 
ground  this  evening  when  he  so  providentially  made 
his  appearance  among  us,  and  so  nobly  rescued  my 
dear  child  from  death.     Heaven  bless  him!" 

When  Mr.  Freeland  had  concluded  his  brief  history 
of  Foolish  John,  it  was  noticed  that  Captain  Hoxie 
looked  very  pale.  Some  one  instantly  inquired  if  he 
felt  ill.     He  replied  that  a  sudden  faint  feeling  had 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  169 

passed  over  him,  but  that  he  should  be  well  again  in 
a  few  moments. 

As  the  company  were  about  dispersing  for  the  night, 
Captain  Iloxie,  with  true  sailor  generosity,  privately 
placed  two  gold  eagles  in  Mr.  Freeland's  hands  for 
the  benefit  of  Foolish  John,  remarking  that  he  should 
interest  himself  still  further  in  his  behalf. 
15 


170  FEED   FREELAND,    OR 


CHAPTER    XX. 

A  VISIT  TO   FRED.  —  BAD   NEWS. 

At  an  early  hour  on  the  following  morning  the 
English  steamship  ran  up  to  her  dock,  at  East  Boston, 
and  Mr.  Freeland  and  Jenny  immediately  crossed  over 
the  ferry  to  the  city  proper,  procured  a  carriage,  and 
proceeded  to  the  Jail,  as  the  affectionate  child  insisted 
that  she  felt  very  well,  and  that  she  must  see  her 
brother  before  he  heard  from  any  other  source  of  the 
accident  of  the  previous  evening. 

Fred  was  deeply  engaged  with  his  own  thoughts  as 
to  the  probable  result  of  the  mission  of  his  father  and 
sister  to  Hooksink, — -m where  he  doubted  not  they  had 
arrived  that  morning,  —  when  he  was  greatly  surprised 
to  see  them  approaching  him. 

"  Father !  —  Jenny !  what  does  this  mean  ?  "  cried 
Fred,  looking  anxiously  from  one  to  the  other.  "  I 
supposed  you  were  at  Hooksink ! " 

"And  we  expected  to  be  there,"  replied  his  father, 
"but  an  unfortunate  circumstance  prevented." 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  171 

"What  was  it?"  asked  Fred,  excitedly,  as  he  noticed 
that  Jenny  appeared  unusually  pale. 

"O,  don't  he  alarmed,  dear  hrother,"  said  Jenny. 
"It  is  all  for  the  best,  I  dare  say;  and  we  shall  be 
in  season  if  we  take  the  cars  to-morrow  morning." 

"  But  what  has  happened,  father  ?  Do  tell  me  — 
quickly!"  urged  Fred. 

Mr.  Freeland  at  once  proceeded  to  give  an  account 
of  the  terrible  scenes  through  which  they  had  passed. 
Fred  listened  with  silent  and  intense  interest  to  the 
recital ;  but  when  his  father  came  to  speak  with  more 
particular  reference  to  Jenny,  the  overwrought  feelings 
of  the  poor  boy  gave  way  to  a  paroxysm  of  grief;  and, 
with  a  flood  of  tears,  pressing  her  closely  to  his  heart, 
he  exclaimed, — 

"  O,  my  dear,  kind  sister !  And  you  have  suffered 
all  this  on  account  of  that  one  thoughtless  act  of  mine, 
which  has  brought  nothing  but  misery  into  the  family 
where  all  was  happiness  before!" 

"  Don't  talk  so,  dear  brother,"  replied  Jenny,  very 
affectionately.  "  I  haven't  suffered  much ;  and  I  would 
suffer  it  over  again  to-day,  and  every  day,  if  it  would 
only  get  you  out  of  this  prison,  and  bring  you  home 
again,  and  make  you  happy." 

"  Come,  Jenny,"  interposed  her  father,  "  we  must  not 
prolong  this  visit,  for  you  require  rest  and  quiet."   I 


172  FRED   FREELAXD,    OR 

will  come  to  see  Fred  again  in  the  course  of  the  day, 
when  I  have  decided  what  to  do  next.  Perhaps  it 
will  answer  all  purposes  if  I  write  for  Bill  Brown  to 
hasten  home  without  delay  whenever  the  vessel  arrives 
at  Hooksink." 

"I  think  that  would  do  just  as  well  as  for  you  to 
go,  father,"  said  Fred ;  "  for  I  am  sure  Bill  would  come 
the  moment  he  should  know  what  we  wanted  of  him." 

"  0,  I  am  afraid  he  wouldn't  get  the  letter,"  said 
Jenny,  earnestly.  "I  shall  he  able  to  go  in  the  cars 
to-morrow  morning,  I  know.  If  your  arm  gets  well 
enough,  father,  we  can  start  in  the  first  train." 

Jenny's  earnestness  to  make  certain  of  Bill  Brown's 
testimony  in  Fred's  behalf,  undoubtedly,  caused  her  to 
conceal  whatever  ill  effects  she  might  then  experience 
from  the  accident  of  the  previous  evening ;  but  it  was 
somewhat  surprising,  as  Dr.  Seymour  had  remarked 
before  they  left  the  steamship,  that  she  was  able  so 
soon  not  only  to  be  about,  but  to  prepare  to  enter 
again  with  ardor  into  the  cause  of  her  brother. 

"  "We  will  decide  about  this  matter  during  the  early 
part  of  the  day,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  "  and  then,  Fred, 
I  will  see  you  again.  As  soon  as  I  have  placed  Jenny 
under  the  care  of  your  aunt  Mary,  I  will  see  what  is 
best  to  be  done.     Good  by,  my  dear  boy." 

"  Good  by,"  responded  Fred.     "  Ask  aunt  Mary,  for 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  173 

me,  to  take  good  care  of  little  sis,  after  her  accident 
of  last  night." 

"  O,  never  fear  for  me,"  replied  Jenny,  cheerfully. 
"  I  shall  be  perfectly  well  just  as  quick  as  I  get  home. 
Keep  up  good  courage,  Fred,  and  all  will  come  out 
right  yet.     Good  by." 

"  Good  by,"  repeated  Fred ;  "  and  may  our  heavenly 
Father  bless  you,  my  sweet  sister,  for  your  words  of 
affection  and  encouragement.  I  shall  never  lose  my 
courage  so  long  as  you  set  me  such  good  examples." 

Fred  was  alone  again  in  his  prison ;  but  his  thoughts 
were  with  his  dear  little  sister  in  her  peril  by  fire  and 
water  the  previous  evening.  As  he  pictured  her,  in 
imagination,  lying  at  the  bottom  of  the  harbor,  kept 
hopelessly  down  by  the  weight  of  the  boat's  anchor,  he 
exclaimed,  — 

"O,  if  she  had  been  drowned,  how  could  I  have 
borne  up  under  such  a  loss  !  How  could  I  have  lived 
without  the  warm  affection  of  that  most  precious  sister ! 
And  poor  Foolish  John  —  how  I  long  to  see  him  and 
to  tell  him  how  very  much  I  thank  him  for  his  noble 
conduct!  0,  how  thankful  I  am  that  my  dear  father 
and  sister  are  preserved!" 

As  soon  as  Jenny  was  allowed  to  leave  the  sofa, — 
on  which  aunt  Mary  had  insisted  she  should  lie  to  rest, 
the  moment  she  was  informed  of  what  had  happened, 
15* 


174  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

—  early  in  the  forenoon,  she  asked  permission  of  her 
father  to  walk  down  to  Mrs.  Fox's  and  inquire  after 
John.  Mr.  Freeland  replied  that  it  was  his  intention 
to  call  there  himself  directly  after  dinner ;  but  Jenny 
promised  to  walk  slowly,  and  said  she  should  feel  all 
the  better  to  go  out  a  little  while;  and  her  father,  at 
length,  gave  his  somewhat  reluctant  consent. 

During  Jenny's  absence,  Mr.  Freeland  took  up  the 
morning  paper  and  read  to  his  sister  a  correct  account 
of  the  burning  of  the  steamer,  and  of  his  daughter's 
narrow  escape  from  drowning.  Having  completed  the 
reading  of  this  article,  his  eye  rested  on  a  paragraph 
directly  below,  which  at  once  absorbed  all  his  attention. 
His  sister  was  startled  by  the  sudden  exclamation  from 
him,  — 

"Poor  Bill  Brown!" 

"  What  is  it,  brother  ? "  asked  aunt  Mary,  in  much 
alarm. 

After  a  moment's  hesitation  Mr.  Freeland  read  as 
follows  :  — 

"  Lost  overboard,  from  the  fishing  schooner  Sea  Gull, 
during  the  severe  gale  of  Wednesday  night  last,  a  lad 
belonging  to  Eockmount,  named  William  Brown.  It 
was  at  the  very  height  of  the  storm,  and  the  vessel 
had  suffered  much  in  spars  and  rigging,  with  breakers 
close  aboard,  so  that  nothing  could  be  done  to  rescue 


THE   CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  175 

the  unfortunate  boy  from  a  watery  grave.  They  had 
previously  lost  their  boat.  The  vessel  barely  escaped 
being  wrecked,  and  arrived  the  next  night  at  Hooksink, 
where  she  belongs." 

As  Mr.  Freeland  finished  reading  this  sad  piece  of 
intelligence,  and  before  any  remark  could  be  made 
upon  it,  Jenny  hurriedly  entered  the  room,  and  said, 
in  an  excited  manner, — 

"  O  father,  I  bring  bad  news !  John  Fox  is  very 
sick.  Dr.  Smith  has  been  to  see  him,  and  says  he 
has  a  high  fever,  and  is  dangerously  ill.  I  suppose 
it  is  all  on  account  of  his  getting  so  wet  and  cold  last 
night  in  saving  me.  O  dear !  how  sorry  I  am  for  him 
and  his  mother!" 

"  Misery,  misery,"  groaned  out  Mr.  Freeland.  "  How 
true  it  is,  that  misfortunes  seldom  come  singly!" 

"  Why,  father,  has  any  thing  else  happened  ?  "  Jenny 
inquired. 

"Yes,  my  dear  child;  here  is  the  saddest  kind  of 
news  concerning  poor  Bill  Brown ; "  and  Mr.  Freeland 
again  read  the  paragraph  in  the  paper. 

Jenny's  countenance  at  once  betrayed  deep  grief,  and 
her  eyes  filled  with  tears ;  but  she  made  no  outcry ;  she. 
uttered  no  lament ;  she  spoke  no  word  of  sorrow.  On 
the  contrary,  seating  herself  by  the  table,  with  her 
hands   resting  upon  it,  she   silently  bowed  her  head, 


176  FEED   FREELAND,    OR 

and  remained  perfectly  motionless  for  a  short  space 
of  time.  Who  shall  say  that  that  young  and  gentle 
being,  in  those  brief  moments  of  silent  -supplication, 
did  not  ask  and  receive  such  guidance  and  support 
as  no  earthly  power  can  bestow? 

*  O,  my  dear  boy  Fred ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Freeland, 
after  a  brief  silence.  "  God  only  knows  what  his  fate 
will  now  be !  My  only  hope  for  him  has  perished  with 
poor  Bill  Brown  ! " 

"  0,  how  unfortunate  !  O,  how  sad ! "  was  all  that 
aunt  Mary  could  utter. 

Again  there  was  silence.  Mr.  Freeland  rested  his 
forehead  upon  the  table,  covered  his  face  with  his 
hands,  and  groaned  aloud.  Presently,  Jenny's  little 
arm  encircled  his  neck,  and  gently  she  raised  his  head 
from  the  table.  He  looked  up.  Her  eyes  were  brim 
full  of  tears,  but  her  countenance  was  lighted  up  by 
a  smile  of  blessed  hope. 

"Father  —  dear  father,"  said  she,  tenderly  kissing 
his  forehead,  "  do  not  be  discouraged.  Only  think  how 
we  escaped  last  evening!  God  will  not  forsake  us 
now.  No,  no ;  he  is  too  good  to  allow  our  dear  Fred 
to  be  punished  for  a  crime  he  never  committed.  I 
know  he  will  be  cleared  at  his  trial.  If  poor  Bill 
Brown  is  gone,  I  am  sure  there  will  be  some  other 
way  to  prove   Fred's  innocence.     And  then,  father, 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  177 

only  think  of  poor  Mrs.  Brown,  Mrs.  Fox,  and  John ! 
Should  we  not  try  to  comfort  them?" 

"  Heaven  •bless  you,  my  dear  child,  for  your  words  of 
hope  and  confidence ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Freeland,  as  he 
pressed  his  little  daughter  affectionately  to  his  heart. 
"  Your  faith  in  God  teaches  me  my  duty,  and  inspires 
me  anew  to  persevere  to  the  end.  I  will  see  that  all 
is  done  that  human  efforts  can  accomplish  for  poor 
Fred,  and  leave  the  rest  to  a  kind  Providence.  And 
I  thank  you,  my  dear  daughter,  for  reminding  me  that 
we  must  not  forget,  in  our  own  trouble,  to  render  such 
aid  and  consolation  as  lie  in  our  power  to  those  who  are 
more  deeply  afflicted  than  ourselves.  All  three  of  the 
persons  you  name  are  entitled  to  our  commiseration, 
sympathy,  and  assistance.     Vie  will  not  forget  them." 

"  No,  that  we  will  not,"  said  aunt  Mary,  who  was 
one  of  the  kindest  and  best  of  nurses.  "  I  have  just 
been  thinking,  brother,  if  you  and  Jenny  can  manage 
to  get  along  without  me,  that  I  will  go  to  Mrs.  Fox's 
this  afternoon,  and  remain  with  her  as  long  as  my 
services  are  required.  Poor  woman!  I  fear  she  will 
be  sorely  tried." 

"  O,  yes ;  go,  by  all  means,"  replied  Mr.  Freeland. 
"  Your  experience  and  kindness  may  do  much  to  lessen 
the  sufferings  of  poor  John.  And  I  wish  you  to  see 
that  no  expense  is  spared  to  make  him  as  comfortable 

L 


178  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 

as  the  nature  of  his  disease  will  permit.  Noble  fellow ! " 
and  he  drew  Jenny  tenderly  to  his  side. 

"Yes;  and  I  will  run  back  and  forth  among  them, 
and  do  what  little  I  can,"  said  Jenny. 

"And  you  can  do  much,  my  dear  child,  to  comfort 
them  all,"  replied  her  father,  affectionately. 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  179 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

FOOLISH    JOHN'S    ILLNESS. 

Directly  after  dinner  Mr.  Freeland  accompanied 
aunt  Mary  and  Jenny  to  Mrs.  Fox's  humble  abode, 
where  they  found  John  under  a  high  state  of  fever, 
and  suffering  great  pain.  The  poor  widow  expressed 
herself  as  being  truly  grateful  for  this  kind  visit ;  and 
when  informed  that  it  was  aunt  Mary's  intention  to 
remain  with  her,  she  could  not  restrain  her  tears  of 
thankfulness. 

After  Mr.  Freeland  had  spoken  in  the  highest  terms 
of  John's  noble  conduct  on  the  previous  evening,  and 
expressed  to  Mrs.  Fox  deep  regret  at  his  sickness,  he 
placed  in  her  hand  the  money  from  Captain  Hoxie, 
and  assured  her  that  nothing  should  be  left  undone 
that  would  in  any  degree  alleviate  her  son's  sufferings. 
The  poor  woman  was  much  affected  by  this  unexpected 
assistance,  and  requested  Mr.  Freeland  to  tender  her 
heartfelt  acknowledgments  to  the  stranger  captain  for 
his  great  kindness.     She  also  thanked  the  gentleman 


180  FRED    FREELAND,   OR 

present,  over  find  over  again,  for  his  sympathy  and 
proffered  aid. 

Mr.  Freeland  and  Jenny  left  Mrs.  Fox's  to  visit  the 
still  more  solemn  house  of  mourning  —  that  of  Mrs. 
Brown.  They  found  the  afflicted  woman  giving  vent 
to  a  flood  of  tears  over  her  son's  chest* of  clothes, 
which  a  teamster  had  just  brought  from  Boston.  She 
had  received  a  letter  that  morning,  from  Captain  Bruce, 
communicating  to  her  the  painful  intelligence  of  Bill's 
melancholy  fate,  and  commending,  in  high  terms,  his 
conduct  during  the  whole  time  he  had  been  on  board 
the  vessel.  The  letter  contained  the  full  amount  of 
his  wages  for  the  entire  trip,  with  the  addition  of 
twenty-five  dollars  which  had  been  generously  made 
up  by  the  crew,  at  the  suggestion  of  Jack  Sanderson. 
Bill  had  made  Jack  his  confidant,  not  only  with  regard 
to  his  mother's  condition  in  life,  but  also .  relative  to 
his  own  previous  career,  and  his  indebtedness  to  Fred 
and  Jenny  Freeland  for  his  attempt  at  reformation. 

Mr.  Freeland  and  Jenny  extended  to  the  bereavefl 
Mrs.  Brown  all  the  consolation  which  their  kind  and 
sympathetic  natures  could  suggest.  It  was  not  without 
effect.  Presently  she  became  much  more  reconciled, 
and  proceeded  to  open  the  chest.  The  first  article  she 
took  up  was  the  little  book  that  Bill  had  received  from 
Jenny  on  the  day  he  left  home  for  Hooksink.     As  she 


THE   CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  181 

opened  it,  her  eyes  rested  on  what  had  been  a  blank 
leaf,  but  now  written  over  in  pencil  marks.  She  ran 
her  eye  quickly  over  the  page,  and  then,  with  a  tearful 
smile,  handed  the  book  to  Jenny,  who  easily  read  the 
following  lines,  though  written  in  a  hand  far  from 
elegant,  with  some  bad  orthography  —  the  latter  of 
which  we  have  taken  the  liberty  to  correct ;  — 

"At  Sea,  September  1,  185—. 

"  A  gift  from  J.  F.,  of  Rockmount ;  the  little  girl  who  first 

told  me  that  my  worst  enemy  was  my  own  wicked  thoughts. 

If  any  tiling  happens  to  me,  so  that  I  never  reach  home,  and 

this  book  should  be  saved,  I  want  my  dear  mother  to  give 

it  back  to  my  little  friend,  that  she  may  know  how  much  I 

have  thought  of  it  and  her,  and  that  I  hope  I  have  been  a 

better  boy  for  the  great  kindness  of  herself  and  brother,  and 

for  what  I  have  read  in  this  book. 

"  W.  B." 

Mr.  Freeland,  who  had  looked  over  his  daughter's 
shoulder,  also  read  the  lines;  and,  as  he  did  so,  his 
countenance  assumed  a  happier  expression,  for  he  was 
thereby  fully  convinced  that  the  boy  who  wrote  those 
brief,  simple,  touching  words  could  never  have  been 
guilty  of  taking  the  money  —  as  he  had  heretofore 
suspected  —  which  had  cast  suspicion  on  Fred,  and 
caused  his  long  confinement  in  jail ;  and  the  father 
now  began  to  hope,  with  his  little  daughter,  that  light 
16 


1S2  FRED   FBEELAXD,    OB 

■would  yet  be  shed  from  some  other  quarter  upon  that 
painful  and  mysterious  affair. 

"  These  few  lines,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  taking  the 
book  in  his  hand,  and  turning  to  Mrs.  Brown,  "  will 
afford  you  more  consolation  in  your  affliction  than  any 
earthly  thing  beside,  for  they  clearly  show  that  your 
son  had  adhered  to  the  good  resolutions  with  which  he 
left  home,  and  that  a  reformation  had  commenced  in 
his  heart  far  more  important  in  death  than  in  life." 

"  You  speak  truly,  my  friend,"  replied  Mrs.  Brown. 
"  I  already  feel  their  solacing  influence.  Jenny  must 
take  the  book,  however,  agreeably  to  my  poor  boy's 
request.  The  words  I  shall  never  forget.  I  trust  I 
shall  be  humbly  resigned  to  the  will  of  God,  though 
the  bereavement  is  very  great." 

As  Mr.  Freeland  had  promised  to  see  Fred  again 
during  the  day,  and  as  the  sad  news  concerning  Bill 
Brown  had  settled  the  question  negatively  with  regard 
to  the  journey  to  Hooksink,  he  left  Jenny  giving  Mrs. 
Brown  some  of  the  particulars  of  the  incidents  of  the 
evening  before,  and  hastened  to  Boston  to  inform  his 
son  of  the  present  unhappy  state  of  affairs,  and  to 
consult  Mr.  Irwin  with  respect  to  the  future. 

Fred  was  pained  to  hear  of  Foolish  John's  sickness, 
but  was  well  pleased  with  the  arrangements  his  father 
and  aunt  had  made  for  his  comfort.     He  was  deeply 


THE    CHAIN    OP    CIRCUMSTANCES.  183 

moved  at  the  news  of  Bill  Brown's  sad  fate;  but  he 
did  not  think  it  affected  his  own  case  in  the  slightest 
degree,  for  he  had  continued  firm  in  the  belief  that 
Bill  could  not  possibly  have  had  the  least  knowledge 
of  the  missing  money.  He  was  in  favor  of  having 
his  trial  take  place  as  soon  as  practicable,  being  stilfc 
confident  that  "his  innocence  would  then  be  established. 
And  he  was  alarmed,  evidently,  for  Jenny,  on  account 
of  the  continued  state  of  anxiety  and  excitement  under 
which  she  had  so  long  labored. 

Mr.  Freeland  held  a  consultation  with  his  lawyer, 
when  it  was  agreed  upon  that  the  trial  should  take 
place  at  the  ensuing  term  of  the  court.  Indeed,  there 
was  no  plausible  reason  for  further  postponement,  nor 
any  thing  to  be  gained  by  such  a  course.  Mr.  Irwin 
ascertained  that  the  case  would  be  called  up,  probably, 
at  the  expiration  of  about  ten  days ;  and  both  he  and 
Mr.  Freeland  determined  to  make  the  most  strenuous 
exertions,  during  the  intervening  time,  to  obtain  some 
clew  to  the  real  rogue  in  this  money  affair  —  being 
well  aware  that  roguery  had  been  practised  in  the 
matter  by  some  one. 

But  to  return  to  poor  Foolish  John.  ,  Day  after  d:iy 
passed  without  bringing  any  relief  to  his  sufferings. 
His  fever  ran  high,  and  was  pronounced  by  Dr.  Smith 
to  be  of  the  most  dangerous  type.     During  the  first 


184  EKED    FREELAND,    OB 

two  days,  although  his  distress  was  great,  he  submitted 
with  much  calmness.  On  the  third  day,  however,  he 
became  a  complete  maniac ;  and  his  loud,  incessant 
ravings  were  most  distressing  to  the  ears  and  hearts 
of  his  friends.  From  this  period  he  required  constant 
watching,  and" a  great  part  of  the  time  physical  force, 
to  keep  him  in  bed.  Either  his  mother  or  aunt  Mary 
remained  by  his  bedside  continually ;  and  the  neighbors 
were  all  exceedingly  kind,  and  rendered  every  possible 
assistance.  Jenny  was  there  some  time  during  each 
day,  ever  anxious  to  perform  any  little  act  of  kindness 
that  her  own  gentle  nature,  or  the  experience  of  friends 
of  maturer  years,  might  suggest.  She  divided  all  her 
leisure  hours  between  Fred  in  his  prison,  Mrs.  Brown 
in  her  solitary  house  of  mourning,  and  Foolish  John 
on  his  bed  of  sickness  and  suffering. 

Mr.  Freeland  called  regularly  twice  a  day  to  see 
John,  and  remained  up  to  a  late  hour  each  evening. 
Besides  the  attention  he  bestowed  upon  the  patient, 
his  generous  sympathy  and  sound  counsel  did  much 
to  strengthen  and  support  the  poor  widow  in  her  hour 
of  trouble  and  anxiety. 

During  the  first  day  or  two  of  his  illness  John  made 
no  objection  to  the  medicine  prescribed  by  Dr.  Smith ; 
but  after  that  time  he  positively  refused  to  swallow  a 
particle  of  any  thing  he  ordered.     He  insisted,  in  his 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  185 

wild  ravings,  that  the  doctor  had  been  engaged  for 
the  last  four  years  in  the  extensive  manufacture  of  a 
"  Grand  Panacea "  with  which  he  pretended  to  cure 
all  diseases.  "  He  makes  it,"  said  John,  "  by  filling  my 
head  with  clam  shells,  and  thrusting  me  into  a  red-hot 
furnace  until  the  shells  are  burnt  to  a  crisp;  then  he 
pulls  me  from  the  fire  by  the  heels,  and  takes  a  large 
iron  pestle,  using  my  head  for  a  mortar,  and  pounds 
the  burnt  shells  to  a  fine  powder,  which  he  scoops  out 
of  my  ears  with  a  long-handled  ladle."  He  contended, 
with  much  earnestness,  that  Dr.  Smith  procured  all  his 
medicine  in  this  manner,  and  he  was  determined  to 
take  none  of  it.  Thenceforward  no  medicine  entered 
his  lips. 

Early  in  the  evening  of  the  fifth  day  of  his  sickness, 
John  became  so  wild  and  unmanageable  that  his  mother 
and  her  kind  female  assistant  could  do  nothing  with 
him.  Hence  they  found  it  necessary  to  call  in  two 
men,  whose  constant  presence  was  required  to  keep  the 
poor  fellow  in  his  bed.  Dr.  Smith  had  been  there  late 
in  the  afternoon,  and  expressed  his  opinion  that  the 
crisis  was  near  at  hand ;  that  a  few  hours  would  decide 
between  life  and  death.  He  had  confidentially  informed 
aunt  Mary,  however,  that  there  was,  in  his  opinion,  no 
ground  for  hope. 

Mr.  Freeland  and  Jenny  made  their  usual  evening 
16* 


186  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

call,  immediately  after  tea,  and  were  extremely  sorry 
to  find  John's  condition  so  much  worse.  For  the  space 
of  three  or  four  hours  the  poor  sufferer  continued  to 
talk  and  rave  in  a  loud  and  incoherent  manner.  He 
then  gradually  became  calm,  but  kept  up  a  constant, 
though  almost  inaudible,  muttering.  It  wanted  a  few 
minutes  only  of  eleven  o'clock,  and  his  friends  were 
flattering  themselves  that  his  ravings  were  at  an  end, 
and  that  he  was  about  to  subside  into  a  quiet  sleep, 
when,  springing  upright  in  bed,  and  throwing  his  arms 
wildly  around,  he  shouted, — 

"  Ship,  a-hoy !  Put  your  helm  hard  up,  or  you'll 
run  us  down  ! " 

The  two  men  who  were  watching  by  John's  bedside 
instantly  seized  him,  and  had  as  much  as  they  could  do 
to  prevent  him  from  leaping  out  upon  -the  floor.  He 
struggled  violently  to  free  himself  from  the  grasp  of 
the  men,  and,  in  the  most  excited  manner,  shouted 
again,  — 

"  See !  see  !  they  don't  hear  —  they  are  coming  right 
on  to  us!     O!  what  shall  we  do?" 

John's  momentary  strength  was  exhausted,  and  he 
allowed  himself  to  be  placed  upon  his  pillow.  His 
eyes,  however,  turned  rapidly  back  and  forth  in  his 
head,  while  his  countenance  expressed  sensations  of 
the  utmost  fear  and  horror. 


THE   CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  187 

"  O,  my  poor  suffering  boy ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Fox, 
as  she  shut  out  her  son's  agonized  countenance  from, 
her  vision  by  burying  her  face  in  her  hands. 

""This  is  very  strange,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  who,  with 
Jenny,  had  remained  later  than  usual,  on  account  of 
the  patient's  critical  condition.  "I  think  it  gives  a 
clew,  however,  to  the  character  of  the  accident  that 
befell  him  and  his  father  four  years  ago.  They  were, 
undoubtedly,  run  down  by  some  vessel;  and  he  now 
imagines  himself  to  be  in  the  same  situation  again." 

"  One  moment  more,"  cried  John,  as  he  sprang  up 
the  second  time  in  bed,  "  and  we  shall  be  carried  to 
the  bottom !  Hail  them  again,  father,  and  perhaps 
they  will  hear.  No ;  she  is  close  upon  us !  There ! 
she  strikes  us! — we  are  lost/"  and  instantly  he  fell 
back,  apparently  lifeless,  upon  his  pillow. 

"  O,  my  poor,  dear  boy  is  gone ! "  sobbed  Mrs.  Fox, 
as  she  bent  with  streaming  eyes  over  his  motionless 
form. 

A  few  moments  of  painful  silence  ensued,  when  Mr. 
Freeland  quietly  led  the  sorrowing  mother  to  a  chair. 
Then,  returning  to  the  bedside,  he  placed  his  hand 
beneath  the  clothing  upon  the  breast  of  John,  and 
remained  a  minute  or  two  without  uttering  a  word  or 
moving  a  finger.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  he 
turned  towards  Mrs.  Fox,  with  a  gleam  of  hope  on 


188  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

his  countenance,  and  said,  in  a  tone  that  sent  a  thrill 
of  joy  to  her  heart,  — 

"  Be  comforted,  dear  madam  :  your  son  still  lives  !  " 

"  O,  Heaven  be  praised ! "  exclaimed  the  poor  widow. 
"But  are  you  sure,  Mr.  Freeland?  Can  I  —  dare  I 
hope?" 

"  Yes,  I  am  certain,"  he  replied.  "  His  heart  faintly 
beats.  And  now,  as  I  bend  over  him,  I  can  feel  his 
breath  upon  my  face." 

Mrs.  Fox  again  approached  the  bed,  and  satisfied 
herself  of  the  joyful  truth.  In  a  low,  earnest  tone  she 
uttered,  — 

"  Yes  ;  my  son  lives !  O  heavenly  Father !  I  thank 
thee  for  this  happiness!" 

"You  must  endeavor  to  be  calm,  madam,"  urged 
Mr.  Freeland.  "  It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the 
utmost  quiet  be  now  maintained  throughout  the  house. 
John's  fever  has  evidently  left  him;  and,  if  he  is  not 
disturbed  from  this  natural  sleep  he  has  fallen  into,  I 
think  the  doctor  will  pronounce  him  out  of  danger  at 
his  next  visit.  There  will  be  no  necessity  for  your  two 
kind  neighbors  to  remain  any  longer ;  and  as  you  are 
much  fatigued  and  excited,  Mrs.  Fox,  if  you  will  retire 
to  your  own  chamber,  and  take  Jenny  with  you,  I  will 
watch,  in  company  with  my  sister,  until  morning.  If 
necessity  for  it  should  occur,  we  can  call  you  at  any 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  189 

moment ;  but,  without  doubt,  your  son  will  sleep  quietly 
till  morning." 

Mrs.  Fox,  at  first,  made  some  objections  to  leaving 
her  son's  room,  but  was  finally  induced  to  retire  with 
Jenny  for  the  night.  Laboring  under  too  great  anxiety 
and  excitement  to  obtain  much  sleep,  she  was  benefited, 
notwithstanding,  by  quiet  and  rest. 


190  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

THE   TWOFOLD    RESTORATION. 

Many  times  during  the  night  did  Mrs.  Fox  listen, 
carefully,  for  any  sounds  from  John's  room ;  but  every 
thing  was  as  still  and  quiet  in  that  quarter  as  if  all 
three  of  its  inmates,  instead  of  one,  had  been  enjoying 
a  refreshing  sleep.  At  the  earliest  dawn,  the  anxious 
mother  proceeded  to  her  son's  apartment  to  inquire 
what  change,  if  any,  had  taken  place  in  him  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  night.  She  was  informed  by  the 
trusty  and  kind  watchers  that  he  had  slept  perfectly 
easy  during  the  whole  time,  and  that  no  change  was 
perceptible  except  in  his  breathing,  which  had  become 
much  stronger  and  freer.  This,  they  had  good  reason 
to  believe,  was  a  most  favorable  symptom. 

With  noiseless  step  Mrs.  Fox  moved  round  to  the 
side  of  the  bed  to  which  John's  face  was  turned,  and 
stood  gazing,  with  tears  of  happy  thankfulness  in  her 
eyes,  on  his  calm,  but  extremely  pale,  countenance. 
Presently  he  gave  a  feeble  moan,  slightly  moved  his 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  191 

limbs  in  bed,  and  suddenly  opened  his  eyes.  As  he 
did  so,  he  looked  his  mother  full  in  the  face,  partially 
extended  his  hand  towards  her,  and  the  next  instant, 
in  a  low,  feeble  voice,  but  with  a  tone  and  manner 
that  sent  unspeakable  joy  to  the  poor  woman's  heart, 
pronounced  the  single  word,  "Mother!"  With  a  cry 
almost  wild  with  gladness,  Mrs.  Fox  buried  her  face 
on  the  bosom  of  her  restored  son  —  ay,  doubly  restored ; 
for  she  hailed  the  utterance  of  that  single  word  as  a 
certain  harbinger  of  the  return  of  his  reason,  perfect 
as  it  was  prior  to  the  accident  which  had  befallen  him 
years  before. 

Although  John  had  always  continued  to  treat  his 
mother  with  attention  and  kindness,  yet,  ever  after 
his  father's  loss  and  the  shock  to  his  own  reason,  he 
had  addressed  her  by  no  other  title  than  "  Old  woman  " 
—  a  familiar  appellation  which  her  husband  had  been 
in  the  habit  of  bestowing  upon  her.  This  very  strange 
whim  in  Foolish  John  had  been  a  constant  source  of 
silent  grief  to  the  poor  woman ;  and  often  had  she  said 
to  herself,  "  0,  if  he  would  only  call  me  '  Mother '  once 
more ! "  He  had  now  spoken  the  long-wished-for  word, 
and  the  mother's  heart  throbbed  with  exceeding  joy. 

Mr.  Freeland  stepped  forward,  raised  Mrs.  Fox  from 
her  stooping  posture,  and,  with  his  usual  thoughtfulness, 
whispered  in  her  ear, — 


192  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 

"  Remember,  dear  madam,  that  you  must  be  calm. 
I  rejoice  with  you  in  the  prospect  of  your  son's  twofold 
restoration.  But  he  is  extremely  weak,  and  you  should 
be  more  cautious." 

"  True,  true,"  she  replied.  "  I  thank  you,  my  kind 
friend.  I  will  certainly  endeavor  to  be  more  prudent 
in  future." 

In  feeble  accents,  with  his  eyes  wandering  about  the 
room,  John  exerted  himself  again  to  say,  — 

"Mother,  what  does  all  this  mean?  Where  have  I 
been?     "What  ails  me?" 

"  My  dear  son,  you  must  be  perfectly  quiet  now," 
replied  Mrs.  Fox.  "You  must  not  try  to  talk;  you 
have  been  very  sick.  In  the  course  of  a  few  days,  I 
trust,  you  will  be  much  stronger ;  then  I  will  tell  you 
every  thing.  But  till  then,  you  will  keep  quiet  — 
won't  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  yes,  I  will,"  said  John.  "Just  turn  me  a 
little." 

His  mother  and  Mr.  Freeland  changed  his  position, 
as  requested,  and  he  manifested  his  thankfulness  by  a 
smile,  but  said  nothing. 

At  an  early  hour  Dr.  Smith  called,  and  was  much 
astonished  to  hear  that  his  patient  was  not  only  alive, 
but  evidently  in  a  fair  way  for  recovery.  And  when 
Mrs.  Fox  communicated  to  him  her  hopes  of  the  full 


THE    CHAIN*    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  193 

restoration  of  John's  intellect,  —  informing  him  on  what 
evidence  she  grounded  her  hope,  —  his  gratification  was 
almost  equal  to  her  own.  He  informed  her  that  he  had 
read  well-authenticated  accounts  of  cases  very  similar, 
and  had  indulged  a  slight  hope  all  along  that  such 
might  be  the  result  in  the  present  instance,  if  John 
lived  through  the  fever ;  but  that  he  had  intimated 
nothing  of  the  kind,  lest  he  might  excite  hopes  never 
to  be  realized. 

"  Then  you  do  really  think,  Dr.  Smith,  there  is  a 
prospect  that  my  dear  boy  may  be  himself  again  ?  " 
said  Mrs.  Fox. 

"I  certainly  do,  judging  from  what  you  have  told 
me,"  replied  the  doctor.  "The  contusion  he  received" 
on  his  head  so  long  ago,  undoubtedly,  produced  a  slight 
congestion,  or  obstruction,  near  the  brain,  which  has 
continued  to  press  upon  it  ever  since.  This,  doubtless, 
has  caused  his  partial  derangement.  Most  probably  it 
was  at  the  time  this  obstruction  was  being  removed, 
that  John  fancied  I  was  making  use  of  his  head  for 
a  mortar.  Poor  fellow !  he  must  have  suffered  much 
at  that  time." 

Dr.  Smith  forthwith  made  a  prolonged  and  minute 

examination  into  all  the  symptoms  of  his  patient,  and, 

when  he   had   concluded  it,  informed  Mrs.   Fox,  with 

a  smile  of  satisfaction  on  his  countenance,  that  she  had 

17  M 


M 


194  FRED   FREELAXD,    OR 

every  thing  to  hope  for,  both  with  regard  to  his  mental 
and  physical  recovery ;  that  all  he  needed  was  quiet 
and  good  nursing ;  and  as  aunt  Mary  had  already 
signified  her  intention  of  remaining  a  few  days  longer, 
between  her  and  his  mother  he  could  not  fail  to  receive 
the  very  best  attention. 

John  steadily  improved,  both  in  body  and  mind,  from 
day  to  day,  and  was  soon  able  to  give  a  clear  and 
graphic  account  of  that  accident  which  had  remained 
wrapped  in  mystery  for  more  than  four  years.  It  was 
in  substance,  briefly,  as  follows  :  — 

Mr.  Fox  and  his  son  were  returning  from  the  fishing 
ground,  in  the  early  part  of  the  evening,  when  they 
encountered  that  appalling  thunder  tempest  to  which 
allusion  has  already  been  made.  The  wind  swept 
down  the  harbor  in  terrible  gusts,  and  the  rain  fell 
.in  torrents.  The  darkness  and  gloom  of  a  hundred 
nights  seemed  compressed  into  that  one  hour.  They 
could  not  see  the  length  of  their  boat,  except  by  the 
occasional  lightning,  which  partially  revealed  to  them 
the  objects  round  about  —  partially,  for  its  vividness 
was  so  great  as  to  cause  the  human  eye  instantly  to 
close  with  a  painful  sensation.  They  had  narrowly 
escaped  being  run  down  twice,  —  first  by  a  schooner, 
and  then  by  a  brig,  —  but  for  some  time  had  not  seen 
any  vessel,  and  were   congratulating   themselves   that 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  195 

ttey  were  out  of  danger  in  this  respect,  when,  by  a 
flash  of  lightning,  they  discovered  a  large  ship  driving 
at  great  speed  directly  towards  them,  and  but  a  few 
rods  distant.  The  fisherman  and  his  son  hailed  with 
all  their  might,  and  made  every  possible  exertion  to 
get  out  of  the  way.  They  were  not  heard,  however, 
and  the  darkness  of  the  night  prevented  them  from 
being  seen.  The  next  instant  the  bows  of  the  ship 
struck  and  crushed  their  frail  boat  as  if  it  had  been 
an  egg  shell,  and  bore  it  at  once  under  water.  John 
had  no  recollection  of  any  thing  after  being  carried 
under  the  bottom  of  the  ship.  It  was  then,  without 
doubt,  that  he  received  upon  his  head  the  severe  blow 
that  rendered  him  senseless  at  the  time,  and  deranged 
his  intellect  for  years.  His  father,  more  unfortunate 
still,  in  all  probability  was  instantly  killed ;  and  having 
been  thrown  into  a  little  different  current  of  wind  from 
that  which  carried  the  son  to  land,  he  drifted  directly 
out  to  sea. 

John  was  not  a  little  affected  while  giving  the  above 
information  with  regard  to  his  father's  fate,  for  to  him 
the  catastrophe  seemed  to  be  of  comparatively  recent 
date.  Although  his  recollection  was  perfect  so  far  as 
regarded  every  thing  that  had  transpired  within  his 
knowledge  up  to  that  period,  yet  all  that  had  occurred 
subsequently — even  the  recent  disaster  to  the  steamer, 


196  FRED   FREELAXD,    OR 

and  the  prominent  part  taken  by  himself  in  rescuii 
Jenny  Freeland  from  drowning  —  was  more,  to 
mind,  like  a  dream  than  a  reality.  He  could  partially 
realize  that  time  had  elapsed,  and  that  certain  events,  in 
which  he  had  been  an  actor,  had  transpired.  Nothing 
was  clear,  however ;  a  kind  of  cloudy  mist  hung  about 
the  last  four  years  that  rendered  all  occurrences  within 
that  time  unpleasant  and  bewildering  for  him  to  dwell 
upon.  But  he  was  gratified  when  any  allusion  Avas 
made  to  his  still  earlier  life,  and  became  happy  and 
cheerful  when  the  conversation  turned  back  to  that 
period. 

Mrs.  Fox  was  happy  beyond  description,  and  seemed 
imbued  with  the  life  and  energy  of  renewed  youth,  as 
from  day  to  day  she  looked  upon  her  son,  and  saw 
the  bloom  of  health  gathering  on  his  cheek,  and  had 
hourly  evidence  of  the  sound  and  clear  condition  of  his 
intellect.  An  old  hope  began  to  revive  within  her, 
that  she  should  yet  live  to  see  her  dear  son  occupying 
some  useful  and  honorable  position  in  society. 

When  John  was  stricken  down  with  the  fever  from 
which  we  have  seen  him  fast  recovering,  his  mother, 
as  was  natural,  considered  it  in  the  light  of  a  deep  and 
overwhelming  affliction;  but  as  he  rose  from  his  bed 
of  sicklies?,  wholly  free  from  that  painful  oppression 
which  had  so  long-  dimmed  the  sparkling  gem  of  reason, 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  197 

she  was  led  to  acknowledge  her  shortsightedness  and 
little  faith.  Nor  did  she  forget  or  neglect  to  render 
up  praise  and  thanks  to  the  Dispenser  of  all  good  for 
this  striking,  proof  of  his  love  and  mercy  towards  the 
widow  in  her  hour  of  deep  affliction  and  sorrow;  but 
each  night  and  morning,  in  the  privacy  of  her  little 
chamber,  she  offered  up  a  prayer  of  acknowledgment 
replete  with  earnest,  truthful,  heartfelt  sincerity. 
17* 


198  •    FRED   FREELAND,    OR 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

COMMENCEMENT   OF   FRED'S   TRIAL. 

The  day  finally  arrived  when  the  guilt  or  innocence 
of  Fred  Freeland  was  to  be  established;  that  is,  so 
far  as  human  testimony  and  a  court  of  law  could 
establish  the  one  or  the  other.  The  youthful  prisoner 
had  continued  firm  in  the  belief  that  he  would  be 
honorably  acquitted  at  his  approaching  trial ;  yet  he 
was  well  aware  that  strong  circumstantial  evidence 
stood  in  array  against  him,  and  knew  not  how  it  Was 
to  be  met.  Consequently  he  could  not  but  feel,  at 
times,  that  the  result  was  involved  in  uncertainty. 
"With  this  view  of  the  case  before  him,  he  had  urged 
his  father  and  Jenny,  at  their  latest  interview,  not  to 
give  way  to  grief  and  despair,  even  should  he  be 
convicted  of  the  crime.     Said  Fred,  — 

"Though  the  jury  may  pronounce  me  guilty,  God 
and  my  own  conscience  will  hriow  that  I  am  wholly 
innocent." 

"And  I  shall  ever  believe  in  your  innocence,  my 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  199 

dear  boy,"  said  Mr.  Freeland,  "  let  the  result  be  what 
it  may." 

"  And  all  the  courts  and  juries  in  the  world,"  said 
Jenny,  as  she  threw  herself,  weeping,  into  the  ax*ms  of 
Fred,  "  can't  make  me  believe  you  guilty,  nor  prevent 
my  loving  you  just  as  I  have  always  done." 

The  court  room  was  nearly  filled  by  spectators  of 
respectability  some  time  before  the  appointed  hour, 
having  been  attracted  thither  by  the  announcement  of 
the  trial  in  the  papers  of  the  day  before  —  each  paper 
having  made  some  interesting  comments  on  the  case. 
Among  this  assemblage  were  many  of  Fred's  personal 
friends  from  Eockmount,  including  quite  a  number  of 
his  playmates  and  schoolfellows,  not  one  of  whom  but 
believed  him  entirely  innocent  of  the  crime  of  which 
he  stood  accused.  They  were  all  anxious  to  see  him 
after  his  long  imprisonment,  and  to  show,  by  their 
presence,  the  deep  interest  and  sympathy  they  felt  for 
him  in  his  misfortune.  He  had  many  new  friends,  too, 
in  that  room  —  friends  who  had  never  seen  him,  and 
knew  not  of  him  until  their  sympathies  were  enlisted 
in  his  behalf  through  the  knowledge  of  his  little  sister's 
kindness  and  devotion  to  him  during  his  self-imposed 
imprisonment. 

The  judge  and  jury  were  promptly  in  their  seats, 
and  the  counsel  both  for  the  prosecution  and  defence 


200  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

were  prepared  to  proceed  with  the  trial.  Near  to  Mr. 
Irwin  were  seated  Mr.  Freeland,  aunt  Mary,  and  Jenny 
—  the  latter  attracting  much  attention  on  account  of 
her  widely-known  affection  for  her  brother,  and  more 
especially  as  her  recent  almost  miraculous  escape  from 
drowning  was  still  fresh  in  the  minds  of  many. 

Presently  the  prisoner  was  brought  forward,  and 
placed  at  the  bar,  when  all  eyes  were  simultaneously 
directed  towards  him,  and  all  hearts  at  once  beat  in 
sympathy  with  his;  for  there  was  that  in  his  frank, 
honest  countenance  and  manly  bearing  which  instantly 
prepossessed  every  one  in  his  favor.  To  those  who 
had  known  him  at  home,  he  looked  somewhat  pale, 
and  a  shade  of  thoughtfulness  and  anxiety  marked  his 
fine  countenance.  He  was  in  the  enjoyment  of  perfect 
health,  however,  and  nothing  like  fear  or  despondency 
could  be  seen  about  him;  while  his  whole  appearance 
was  relieved  from  every  thing  like  undue  boldness  by 
a  certain  degree  of  retiring  modesty,  such  as  will  ever 
be  noticed  in  connection  with  good  breeding  and  a 
cultivated  mind. 

Many  trials  of  a  similar  character  might  and  do  take 
place  without  being  known,  scarcely,  beyond  the  walls 
of  the  Court  House.  But  the  high  standing  of  Mr. 
Freeland  among  Boston  merchants,  the  remarkable 
decision  of  Fred  in  choosing  to  remain  in  jail,  and, 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  201 

perhaps  more  than  all,  the  constant  and  loving  visits 
of  Jenny  to  her  unfortunate  brother  throughout  the 
entire  period  of  his  imprisonment,  had  given  to  the 
matter  an  importance  and  interest  that  would  not  have 
been  attached  to  it  under  other  circumstances.  It  is 
seldom  that  a  prisoner  is  brought  to  trial  with  so  full 
a  tide  of  public  opinion  setting  in  his  favor  as  in  the 
case  of  our  young  hero.  Still,  there  were  the  stern 
facts ;  there  the  chain  of  circumstances  that  encircled 
and  shackled  him ;  and  the  jury  must  decide  according 
to  the  law  and  the  testimony. 

The  trial  was  opened  on  the  part  of  the  government 
by  Francis  Maplewood,  Esq.,  who  had  been  appointed 
to  conduct  the  cases  of  the  present  term,  as  the  very 
efficient  district  attorney  was  at  the  time  engaged  in 
the  higher  court.  Mr.  Maplewood  wras  a  lawyer  of 
some  considerable  repute.  He  managed  a  case  with 
a  good  deal  of  tact  and  ability,  though  many  thought, 
at  times,  that  he  was  unnecessarily  severe  with  the 
prisoners.  In  his  opening  remarks,  in  the  present 
instance,  he  briefly  alluded  to  the  main  fact,  as  set 
forth  in  the  indictment,  charging  the  prisoner  with  the 
larceny  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  bank  bills 
from  the  premises  of  Messrs.  Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co.  He 
then  proceeded  to  say  that  the  government  had  few 
witnesses  to  bring  forward,  but  that  their  testimony, 


202  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 

he  was  sorry  to  believe,  would  be  of  such  a  nature 
as  to  fix  the  guilt  beyond  a  doubt  upon  the  prisoner. 
He  presumed  the  ground  of  defence  would  be,  mainly, 
the  prisoner's  former  excellent  character.  This  he  had 
no  wish  to  disprove,  nor  should  he  attempt  it.  He 
believed  that  the  boy's  fife,  up  to  the  time  of  the  theft, 
had  been  wholly  unspotted,  and  was  willing  the  defence 
should  make  that  fact  available  in  all  legitimate  ways. 
But  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  say,  that  that  was  a 
matter  for  the  consideration  of  the  court  in  pronouncing 
sentence,  rather  than  for  that  of  the  jury  in  making 
up  their  verdict.  If  the  fact  of  the  larceny  be  proved 
against  the  prisoner,  the  jury  must  convict,  even  if  he 
were  shown  to  have  been  perfection  itself  before  the 
commission  of  the  crime. 

The  remarks  of  Mr.  Maplewood  were  considered 
quite  fair  by  the  large  majority  of  persons  who  heard 
them.  Jenny  was  an  exception.  To  her  mind,  it  was 
utterly  incomprehensible  how  any  one  could  appear  to 
believe  in  the  guilt  of  her  dear  beloved  brother,  of 
whose  innocence  she  felt  as  confident  as  of  her  own 
existence.  Her  father  found  it  necessary  to  whisper  a 
word  of  caution  in  her  ear  more  than  once  during  the 
brief  space  of  time  that  the  assistant  district  attorney 
occupied  the  attention  of  the  court ;  for  she  would  half 
rise  from  her  seat,  and  fix  on  the  speaker  a  look  of 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  203 

determined  antagonism,  as  if  preparing  to  hurl  back 
every  word  like  an  accusation  against  Fred's  truth 
and  honesty,  and  to  commence  a  plea  herself  for  him 
at  once.  Mr.  Irwin,  as  we  shall  hereafter  see,  also 
took  exceptions  to  some  portion  of  Mr.  Maplewood's 
remarks. 

The  first  witness  placed  upon  the  stand  was  Joseph 
Lenox,  the  expressman,  who  testified  to  the  delivery 
of  the  money  to  Mr.  Slash,  and  produced  his  receipt 
for  the  same,  bearing  date  June  18. 

Mr.  Irwin  declined  questioning  this  witness,  it  being 
a  standing  rule  with  him  never  to  occupy  the  time  of 
the  court  with  unimportant  cross-questions. 

The  next  witness  called  was  a  salesman  at  Messrs. 
Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co.'s,  who  testified  to  the  sale  of  the 
coat,  and  to  leaving  the  prisoner  at  the  desk  to  settle 
with  Mr.  Slash. 

Mr.  Irwin  also  declined  putting  any  questions  to  this 
witness. 

Mr.  Slash  was  next  sworn.  His  testimony  was  to 
the  effect  that  the  prisoner  came  to  his  desk  to  settle 
for  the  coat,  that  he  waited  there  while  the  business 
was  transacted  with  the  expressman,  that  the  money 
was  left  lying  upon  the  desk  within  reach  of  the  boy, 
that  it  was  missed  directly  after  he  left  the  store,  and 
that  the  officer,  after  the  arrest,  had  shown  him  the 


204  FKED    FREELAND,    OR 

envelope  which  the  money  came  in,  and  a  three-dollar 
bill  of  the  Boston  City  Bank,  both  of  which  had  been 
found  on  the  prisoner  when  arrested. 

The  envelope  and  bill  were  here  shown  to  witness. 
He  identified  the  former  at  once,  by  its  beautifully- 
written  superscription ;  the  latter  he  could  not  swear 
to :  he  was  only  positive  that  the  parcel  contained  two 
three-dollar  bills  of  the  City  Bank.  He  was  confident 
this  was  the  identical  bill  shown  to  him  by  the  officer 
immediately  after  the  arrest ;  and  he  had  an  impression 
that  one  bill  in  the  package  was  torn,  but  he  was  not 
certain  with  regard  to  it. 

Fred's  counsel  cross-questioned  Mr.  Slash  closely 
with  respect  to  the  fact  of  all  the  money  being  of  the 
City  Bank,  and  also  as  to  the  denomination  of  the 
bills.  On  these  points,  however,  he  was  positive  and 
immovable,  and  nothing  was  elicited  in  favor  of  the 
prisoner.  After  some  minutes  thus  spent,  Mr.  Irwin 
relinquished  this  witness  by  saying, — 

"  Will  you  be  so  good,  Mr.  Slash,  as  to  inform  the 
court  and  jury  what  time  it  was  when  the  prisoner  left 
your  store?" 

"  It  wanted  ten  minutes  of  four  o'clock,"  replied  the 
witness.  "I  am  positive,  because  I  had  occasion  to 
look  at  my  watch  directly  after  handing  the  boy  his 
change  and  the  bill  of  the  coat." 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  205 

"  Thank  you  ;  that  will  do,"  said  Mr.  Irwin. 

Peter  Gammon  was  then  placed  under  oath.  This 
was  the  young  man,  with  red  hair  and  mustaches,  who 
had  given  the  information  that  first  caused  Mr.  Slash 
to  suspect  Fred.  Reference  has  heen  made  to  his  hair 
solely  as  a  mark  of  recognition.  He  swore  positively 
to  having  seen  the  prisoner  take  up  the  envelope  from 
Mr.  Slash's  desk.  He  witnessed  the  act  as  he  was 
passing  up  the  stairs  near  the  boy,  but  did  not  suspect 
him,  at  the  time,  of  any  dishonest  intentions. 

The  witness  was  passed  over  to  the  -  defence  for 
cross-examination.  Thus  far  the  evidence  only  went 
to  show  what  Fred  himself  had  admitted  from  the 
commencement.  Mr.  Irwin,  on  the  contrary,  had  thus 
far  admitted  nothing.  By  obliging  the  government  to 
prove  every  thing,  step  by  step,  as  the  trial  progressed, 
he  hoped  to  seize  upon  something  with  which  to  oppose 
the  weight  of  circumstantial  evidence  which  threatened 
to  crush  his  youthful  client.  But  nothing  favorable  to 
the  defence  had  as  yet  transpired. 

Young  Gammon  was  now  subjected  to  a  searching 
cross-examination  ;  but  he  maintained  a  good  degree  of 
self-possession,  and  his  statements  were  straightforward, 
and  without  contradiction.  Mr.  Irwin  was  at  the  point 
of  saying  that  he  had  no  more  questions  to  put  to  this 
witness,  when  Jenny  earnestly  whispered  in  his  ear,  — 
18 


.206  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

"Mr.  Irwin,  you  know  Fred  says  that  as  soon  as 
he  took  the  envelope  in  his  hand  he  knew  he  was 
doing  wrong,  and  instantly  put  it  down  again.  JNbw, 
if  that  young  man  saw  him  take  it  up,  must  he  not 
have  seen  him  put  it  down  too  ? " 

"  Thank  you  —  thank  you  for  the  hint,  my  dear," 
whispered  Mr.  Irwin,  with  a  smile  of  encouragement 
on  his  countenance.  Then  turning  to  the  witness,  he 
fixed  his  penetrating  eye  sternly  upon  his  face,  and 
said,  — 

"  Mr.  Gammon,  I  have  one  more  question  to  ask, 
and  I  wish  you  to  bear  in  mind,  in  answering  it,  that 
you  are  under  oath ;  that  you  are  to  tell  the  whole 
truth ;  and  that  if  you  withhold  any  portion  of  it,  you 
perjure  yourself  as  much  in  the  eye  of  God  as  if  you 
were  to  utter  a  known  falsehood.  Now,  sir,"  continued 
Mr.  Irwin,  —  and  he- threw  into  his  manner  and  his 
language  all  that  earnestness  and  solemnity  which  he 
knew  so  well  how  and  when  to  assume,  — "  now,  sir, 
you  have  stated,  on  oath,  that  you  saw  the  prisoner 
take  up  the  envelope  from  Mr.  Slash's  desk;  and  I 
ask  you,  —  remember,  on  your  oath,  —  did  you  not  also 
see  him  instantly  lay  it  down  again?" 

The  witness  quailed  under  the  steadfast  gaze  of  the 
lawyer,  changed  color,  trembled  from  head  to  foot,  and 
falteringly  said, — 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  207 


"  Yes ;  I  did  see  him  lay  it  down,  but  probably 


"We  want  no  probabilities  here,"  said  Mr.  Irwin, 
sharply,  interrupting  the  witness.  "  "We  deal  only  with 
certainties.  Did  you  see  him  take  the  envelope  in  his 
hand  the  second  time  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Gammon.  I  have  done  with  you 
for  the  present." 

The  witness  took  his  seat,  evidently  glad  to  escape 
further  questioning.  Mr.  Irwin  turned  at  once  to  the 
bench,  and  said, — 

"  May  it  please  the  court,  here  is  a  point  to  which 
I  wish  at  this  moment  to  call  the  attention  of  the  jury. 
The  prisoner  has  admitted,  from  the  moment  of  his 
arrest,  that  he  took  the  envelope  in  his  hand,  but  that 
he  instantly  replaced  it  upon  the  desk.  An  important 
government  witness  now  positively  testifies  that  he  saw 
precisely  what  the  prisoner  himself  affirms.  I  trust  the 
jury  will  not  for  a  single  moment  lose  sight  of  this 
vital  fact." 

This  turn  in  the  evidence  had  a  visible  effect  upon 
the  court,  the  jury,  and  the  spectators.  Mr.  Irwin  was 
well  aware  of  its  important  bearing,  and  intended  to 
make  good  use  of  it  in  his  final  argument.  There  was, 
however,  yet  another  witness  for  the  prosecution  to  be 
examined,  whose  evidence,  probably,  would  reveal  the 


208  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 

ugliest-looking  feature  of  the  whole  affair;  and  unless 
some  unlooked-for  light  should  be  thrown  upon  this 
truly  dark  spot  in  the  case,  the  learned  counsel  could 
hardly  dare  hope  for  the  acquittal  of  the  prisoner. 

The  next  and  last  government  witness  placed  upon 
the  stand  was  Mr.  Jones,  the  officer  who  had  arrested 
Fred.  He  testified  to  the  time  and  place  of  arrest, 
and  identified  the  envelope  and  bill  (which  were  here 
shown  to  him)  as  the  same  found  upon  the  prisoner 
at  the  time  he  had  been  taken  into  custody.  This 
testimony  bore  hard  upon  poor  Fred,  and  his  counsel 
scarcely  knew  how  to  meet  it. 

The  prosecuting  attorney,  in  passing  this  witness 
over  to  Mr.  Irwin,  for  him  to  cross-question,  stated 
that  the  evidence  on  the  part  of  the  government  Avas 
all  given  in,  and  that  here  the  prosecution  would  rest 
the  case. 

"  Mr.  Jones,"  said  Fred's  lawyer,  "  will  you  inform 
the  court  and  jury  as  to  the  precise  time  of  arresting 
the  prisoner?" 

"  It  was  just  eight  minutes  past  four  o'clock,"  replied 
the  officer.  "I  am  positive,  because  I  looked  at  my 
watch  at  the  moment,  it  being  my  custom  to  note  the 
time  particularly  when  I  arrest  a  person." 

"  What  length  of  time,  in  your  judgment,  Mr.  Jones, 
would  it  require  to  walk  from  the  junction  of  School 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  209 

and  Washington  Streets  to.  the  place  where  you  made 
the  arrest  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Irwin. 

"About  five  or  six  minutes,  I  should  say,  sir,"  was 
the  answer. 

"  Do  you  know,  Mr.  Jones,  where  the  store  of  the 
prisoner's  father  is  situated?" 

"I  do." 

"  Well,  sir,  if  you  wished  to  go  from  the  corner  of 
School  and  Washington  Streets  to  that  gentleman's 
place  of  business,  would  you  pass  through  the  street 
at  the  rear  of  Messrs.  Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co.'s  ? " 

"  I  certainly  should,"  replied  the  witness,  without 
any  hesitation,  "  if  I  wanted  to  take  the  most  direct 
course." 

"  Will  you  be  so  kind,  Mr.  Jones,  as  to  inform  the 
court  how  the  prisoner  appeared  at  the  time  you  made 
the  arrest?"  said  Mr.  Irwin. 

"He  seemed  to  be  very  much  astonished,"  replied 
the  officer,  readily;  "but  I  must  say  that  he  showed 
no  signs  of  guilt." 

Jenny  here  turned  to  her  father,  and  whispered  in 
his  ear,  — 

"I  think  that  man's  evidence  won't  do  Fred  a  bit 
of  hurt,  if  it  is  given  on  the  other  side.  He  seems 
to  speak  just  as  he  feels." 

"  I  think  so  too,"  replied  Mr.  Freeland. 
18*  N 


210  FEED    FREELAND,    OR 

Mr.  Irwin  seemed  to  be  debating  for  a  moment  or 
two  in  his  own  mind  whether  he  should  put  any  more 
questions  to  Mr.  Jones.  A  thought  suddenly  struck 
him,  and  he  framed  a  question  which  he  knew  full 
well  the  prosecuting  attorney  would  object  to.  His 
object  was  to  gain  an  opportunity  to  say  a  word  to 
the  jury  with  regard  to  this  witness's  testimony  before 
their  attention  was  otherwise  diverted.  Accordingly  he 
asked,  — 

"  What  was  your  impression,  Mr.  Jones,  at  the  time 
you  arrested  the  prisoner,  with  respect  to  his  guilt  or 
innocence  ?  " 

"  May  it  please  the  court,"  said  Mr.  Maplewood, 
suddenly  rising  from  his  seat,  "it  appears  to  me  that 
the  learned  counsel  for  the  defence  is  asking  questions 
that  have  little  or  no  bearing  on  the  case.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  there  will  be  no  more  trifling  in  this  respect." 

"  May  it  please  your  honor,"  replied  Mr.  Irwin,  with 
his  usual  good  nature  and  dignity,  "  the  learned  counsel 
of  the  other  side  may  yet  discover  that  these  questions 
to  which  he  takes  exception  do  have  a  bearing  upon 
the  case.  But  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  to  have  Mr. 
Jones's  testimony,  as  it  now  stands,  go  to  the  jury.  I 
only  ask  them  to  forget  nothing  he  has  said.  As  the 
prosecution  objects  to  the  last  question  put  to  the 
witness,  the  defence  has  not  the  least  inclination  to 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  211 

urge  it.     Hence  the  court  is  relieved  from  the  necessity 
of  deciding  as  to  its  admissibility." 

Mr.  Maplewood  inquired  if  the  defence  wanted  any 
thing  more  of  the  witness  on  the  stand ;  and  receiving 
a  negative  answer,  he  stated  that  the  evidence  for  the 
government  had  closed. 


212  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

OPENING    OF    THE    DEFENCE. 

Mr.  Irwin,  in  opening  for  the  defence,  made  a  few 
pertinent  remarks.  He  had  unbounded  confidence,  he 
said,  in  the  entire  innocence  of  his  youthful  client,  and 
believed  that  the  jury,  after  hearing  and  weighing  all 
the  testimony,  would  arrive  at  the  same  conclusion. 
He  would  admit  that  the  evidence,  which  was  all 
circumstantial,  had,  on  its  face,  an  apparent  bearing 
against  the  prisoner ;  but  when  that  evidence  came  to 
be  thoroughly  analyzed,  it  would  lose  the  greater  part 
of  its  force. 

He  alluded,  feelingly,  to  the  loss  of  Bill  Brown, 
whose  testimony,  he  felt  confident,  would  have  been 
of  the  utmost  importance  to  his  client  He  spoke  in 
terms  of  high  praise  of  Fred's  noble  generosity  in 
submitting  to  an  imprisonment  of  more  than  three 
months,  rather  than  interrupt  Bill's  favorite  project 
of  a  fishing  cruise,  and  thus  have  thwarted,  probably, 
the  good  influences  at  work  in  that  boy's  breast. 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  213 

"The  defence  proposes  to  show,"  said  Mr.  Irwin, 
"by  the  recorded  testimony  of  the  government's  own 
witnesses,  that  the  assertions  of  the  prisoner  relative 
to  the  whole  matter  tmist  be  true.  He  has  admitted, 
from  the  commencement,  that  he  took  up  the  envelope 
from  the  desk  for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  beauty 
of  its  superscription ;  but  that,  the  impropriety  of  the 
act  occurring  to  his  mind,  he  instantly  replaced  it. 
Mr.  Slash  at  once  identifies  the  envelope,  here  upon 
the  stand,  by  the  beauty  of  the  superscription ;  and 
Mr.  Gammon  testifies  that  he  saw  the  prisoner  lay 
the  envelope  down  the  next  instant  after  taking  it  in 
his  hand. 

"  My  client  affirms  that  he  went,  without  a  moment's 
delay,  from  the  store  of  Messrs.  Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co. 
to  the  corner  of  School  and  Washington  Streets,  where 
he  remained  in  conversation  with  the  Brown  boy  till 
the  '  Old  South '  clock  struck  four,  when  he  started 
for  his  father's  place  of  business,  agreeably  to  previous 
instructions.  Mr.  Slash  informs  us  that  it  wanted  ten 
minutes  of  four  when  the  prisoner  left  their  store : 
this  would  have  given  him  the  requisite  time  to  go 
to  the  junction  of  School  and  Washington  Streets  and 
hold  the  brief  conversation  which  he  says  took  place 
before  four  o'clock.  Mr.  Jones  testifies  that  it  was 
precisely  eight  minutes  after  four  when  he  made  the 


214  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

arrest.  The  prisoner  says  he  had  been  standing  in 
the  street  a  minute  or  two,  after  finding  the  envelope, 
before  the  officer  spoke  to  him :  this  would  leave  him 
five  or  six  minutes  —  which  Mr.  Jones  thinks  is  the 
fair  average  length  of  time  —  to  walk  from  the  '  Old 
South'  to  that  place  after  the  clock  struck  four;  and 
it  was  the  most  direct  course  to  his  father's  store. 

"It  is  true,"  Mr.  Irwin  continued,  "the  defence  has 
no  witnesses  to  prove  that  the  prisoner  found  the  bill 
and  envelope  in  the  street ;  but  it  is  wholly  incredible 
that,  if  guilty  of  the  crime,  he  would  have  been  met 
with  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  larceny, 
twenty  minutes  after  committing  it,  with  the  fullest 
evidence  against  himself  in  his  open  hand,  and  still 
show  no  signs  of  guilt  when  arrested!  The  defence 
feels  confident  of  making  it  appear  clearly  to  the  jury 
that  the  rogue,  whoever  he  may  be,  purposely  dropped 
one  of  the  bills  and  the  envelope  as  a  trap,  and  that 
it  was  the  misfortune  of  the  prisoner  —  as  it  might 
have  been  that  of  any  other  perfectly  honest  person 
in  this  room' — to  fall  into  it. 

"  These  points,  may  it  please  your  honor,  merely 
alluded  to  at  this  time,  will  be  urged  more  fully  upon 
the  minds  of  the  jury  at  the  closing  of  the  defence. 
I  have  a  word  to  say  here  in  reply  to  a  most  strange 
position  assumed  by  the   prosecuting   attorney  in    his 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  215 

opening  remarks,  and  then  we  shall  be  prepared  to 
call  the  witnesses  for  the  defence. 

"  My  learned  brother  admits  that  the  character  of 
the  prisoner,  up  to  June  last,  is  of  a  high  order,  but 
tells  the  jury  they  must  not  take  this  fact  into  account! 
What !  character  not  to  be  considered !  The  honest 
and  unspotted  life  of  an  individual  not  to  serve  him 
in  the  hour  of  darkness  and  adversity  !  Is  the  counsel 
for  the  prosecution  sincere  when  he  puts  forth  such  an 
assertion  as  this  to  an  enlightened  jury  ?  What !  is 
character  to  go  for  nought  ?  Let  me  tell  the  learned 
gentleman,  if  he  does  not  already  know  the  fact,  that 
in  every  situation  in  life  an  individual's  character  will 
be  taken  into  account.  And,  gentlemen  of  the  jury, 
notwithstanding  the  prosecuting  attorney's  instructions 
to  you  on  this  point,  I  am  confident  you  will  —  as  you 
have  an  undoubted  right  to  do  —  give  due  consideration 
to  the  prisoner's  character.  Instead  of  adopting  the 
principle  laid  down  by  my  learned  friend,  that  juries 
should  not  take  character  into  account,  I  would  wish 
to  see  inscribed  directly  before  their  eyes,  in  letters 
of  gold  on  the  walls  of  this  house,  Character  is  every 
thing. 

"  The  defence  will  now  be  able  to  show,"  said  Mr. 
Irwin,  in  conclusion,  "  by  evidence  above  all  question, 
that  the  youthful  prisoner's  life,  up  to  the  time  of  the 


216  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

unhappy  affair  in  which  he  is  at  present  involved,  has 
been  without  a  blemish;  and  the  jury,  it  is  candidly 
believed,  will  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would  be 
next  to  impossible  for  a  boy  with  such  an  excellent 
character  to  commit  the  crime  of  which  he  here  stands 
accused." 

At  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Irwin's  opening  remarks, 
a  number  of  witnesses,  of  the  highest  respectability, 
were  called  for  the  defence.  They  were  principally 
residents  of  Rockmount,  who  had  known  Fred  from 
his  infancy,  and  his  character  was  shown  to  be  of  a 
very  high  standard.  The  pastor  of  the  society  where 
Mr.  Freeland  and  his  family  attended  divine  service, 
the  superintendent  and  teachers  of  the  Sabbath  School, 
the  principal  and  assistants  of  the  Grammar  School, 
and  some  of  Fred's  most  intimate  schoolmates,  all  bore 
ready  evidence  to  his  uprightness  of  character  in  every 
respect. 

At  this  stage  of  the  trial,  Roland  Parks  entered  the 
court  room,  and  whispered  a  word  in  the  ear  of  an 
officer,  who  at  once  communicated  with  Mr.  Irwin. 
Roland  had  been  present  during  the  earlier  part  of 
the  proceedings,  but  left  directly  after  the  testimony 
of  Peter  Gammon  was  given  in,  and  had  just  now 
returned  with  a  young  man,  whose  evidence,  he  had 
reason  to  believe,  would  be  of  some  service  to  Fred. 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  217 

Mr.  Irwin  spoke  to  the  clerk,  when  Roland  was  called, 
and  placed  under  oath. 

"  Where  do  you  reside,  my  lad  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Irwin. 

"  In  Rockmount,  sir,"  replied  Roland. 

"  Do  you  know  the  prisoner  at  the  bar  ? "  inquired 
the  lawyer. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  know  him  well,"  answered  young  Parks. 
"I  have  been  to  school  with  him,  and  played  out  of 
school  with  him,  for  the  last  six  years." 

"  What  is  his  character  among  his  schoolmates  ? " 
Mr.  Irwin  asked. 

"  It  is  every  thing  that  is  good,  and  nothing  that  is 
bad,"  said  Roland,  earnestly.  "Many  a  time  I  have 
wished  that  I  were  like  him.  He  is  the  very  soul 
of  truth  and  honesty." 

This  handsome  compliment  to  Fred's  uprightness  of 
character  was  met  with  smiles  of  approbation  by  his 
numerous  friends,  and  earned  for  Roland  himself  many 
a  word  of  praise. 

"  Were  you  in  court  this  morning,  Roland,  when  Mr. 
Gammon  was  on  the  stand  ?  "  inquired  Fred's  counsel. 

"  I  was,"  replied  the  lad. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  that  young  gentleman  before  this 
morning  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  once  before." 

u  Please  state  when  and  where." 
19 


218  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

"  On  the  evening  before  the  last  4th  of  July  I  saw 

Mr.  Gammon  in  the  Gift  Enterprise  store,  on  

Street,  in  this  city." 

"  Be  good  enough  to  state  if  you  saw  him  make  any 
purchases  there." 

"  May  it  please  the  court,"  said  Mr.  Maplewood,  as 
he  sprang  hastily  to  his  feet,  "  the  learned  counsel  for 
the  defence  is  certainly  pursuing  a  most  remarkable 
and  unprecedented  course  in  this  case.  One  would  be 
led  to  believe  that  Peter  Gammon  was  on  trial  here 
instead  of  the  prisoner  at  the  bar.  I  solemnly  protest 
against  such  treatment  of  a  government  witness." 

"  May  it  please  your  honor,"  said  Mr.  Irwin,  rising 
from  his  seat  without  the  slightest  visible  excitement 
of  manner,  "  I  hope  my  learned  brother  will  allow  this 
trial  to  proceed  without  these  uncalled-for  interruptions. 
He  complains  that  the  course  the  defence  is  pursuing 
is  an  unprecedented  one  ;  but  I  think  the  court  will 
sustain  this  course,  even  were  it  without  precedent, — 
which  is  not  the  case,  —  if  it  be  made  to  appear  that 
the  ends  of  strict  justice  will  be  better  served  by  such 
proceedings.  How  stands  the  matter  ?  A  witness  for 
the  prosecution  testifies  that  he  saw  the  prisoner  take 
the  envelope  containing  the  money  in  his  hand ;  but 
when  this  witness  is  closely  pressed,  he  acknowledges 
that  he  saw  the  same  replaced  upon  the  desk  the  next 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.      .  219 

instant.  Hence  the  defence  takes  the  ground  that  the 
money  remained  on  Mr.  Slash's  desk  when  the  prisoner 
left  the  store.  But,  says  the  government,  one  of  the 
bills,  or  one  of  the  same  bank,  was  found  upon  the 
prisoner  when  he  was  arrested.  This  point  has  been 
met  already ;  and  the  defence  here  proposes  to  account 
for  the  missing  money  by  circumstances  as  strong,  to 
say  the  least,  as  any  that  have  been  brought  against 
the  prisoner,  and  on  other  grounds  than  those  set  up 
by  the  prosecution." 

The  judge  ruled  that  there  was  nothing  objectionable 
in  the  course  being  pursued  by  the  prisoner's  counsel. 

Mr.  Irwin  repeated  the  question  to  Roland, — 

"  Bid  you  see  Mr.  Gammon  make  any  purchases  in 
the  Gift  Enterprise  store?" 

u  I  did,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "  He  bought  about 
fifteen  dollars'  worth  of  books,  and  received  a  number 
cf  trifling  prizes  on  the  same,  while  I  remained  in  the 
room." 

Roland  underwent  a  searching  cross-examination  by 
the  prosecuting  counsel,  but  his  testimony  was  not  in 
the  slightest  degree  shaken  by  it.  His  ready  answers 
to  the  lawyer's  questions  showed  quick  wit  and  sound 
judgment. 

"  How  do  you  know  that  Mr.  Gammon  is  the  same 
person  you  saw  purchasing  the  books?"  inquired  Mr. 


220         %  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

Maplewood,  after  several  questions  had  been  answered 
by  the  witness. 

"  Because  I  noticed  him  particularly  at  that  time,  on 
account  of  his  spending  so  much  money  foolishly,  as 
I  thought,"  replied  Roland.  "And  when  I  saw  him 
this  morning,  on  the  witness  stand,  I  knew  him  again 
at  once ;  and  after  hearing  his  testimony,  I  thought  it 
was  no  more  than  fair  to  state  what  I  had  seen,  and 
to  look  up  another  witness  who,  most  likely,  can  tell 
you  more  about  Mr.  Gammon  than  I  have  done." 

Notwithstanding  Roland's  language  and  manner  were 
perfectly  respectful,  yet  it  was  evident  to  all  that  he 
thought  his  interrogator  had  already  heard  more  than 
enough  concerning  the  personage  in  question.  This, 
probably,  was  the  case,  as  Mr.  Maplewood  declined 
further  examination  of  the  witness. 

David  Hartwell,  the  young  man  who  had  entered 
the  court  room  with  Roland,  was  next  sworn.  He 
stated  that  he  had  known  Peter  Gammon  for  more 
than  a  year.  He  was  not  intimately  acquainted  with 
him.  Did  not  know  that  he  kept  with  Cutt,  Slash, 
&  Co.     During  the  month  of  July  last  he  had  seen 

Gammon  often  at  the  Gift  Enterprise  store,  on 

Street,  and  had  waited  upon  him  in  person  —  having 
been  employed  in  the  establishment  at  that  time  as  a 
clerk.     He  was  positive  that  Gammon  bought  upwards 


THE   CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  221 

of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars'  worth  of  books  in  the 
course  of  three  or  four  weeks.  He  had  no  recollection, 
however,  about  the  bills  that  were  offered  in  payment. 
He  remembered  that  the  young  man  in  question  had 
always  exhibited  much  excitement  with  regard  to  the 
prizes,  of  which  he  had  received  a  few  trifling  ones. 
Witness  believed  that  these  Gift  Enterprises  furnished 
many  youths  with  the  initiatory  steps  to  higher  grades 
of  lottery  schemes  and  gambling  transactions. 

Mr.  Maplewood,  in  the  cross-examination,  did  his 
best,  but  with  poor  success,  to  counteract  the  tendency 
of  this  testimony.  Hence  he  soon  informed  the  witness 
that  he  -had  got  through  with  him. 

Mr.  Slash  was  then  recalled  at  the  request  of  Mr. 
Irwin,  who  said,  — 

"Will  you  be  so  kind,  sir,  as  to  state  what  length 
of  time  Peter  Gammon  has  been  in  the  employ  of 
your  firm  ?  " 

"About  eighteen  months,"  he  replied. 

"  What  salary  have  you  paid  him  ? "  inquired  Mr. 
Irwin. 

"  The  first  six  months  we  paid  him  four  dollars  per 
week,"  said  Mr.  Slash ;  "  and  since  that  time  we  have 
given  him  five." 

"  Do  you  know  of  his  having  any  other  income  ? " 
asked  the  lawyer. 

19* 


222  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

"  He  has  none,  to  my  knowledge,"  was  the  reply  of 
the  tailor. 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  that  will  do,"  said  Mr.  Irwin. 

The  clerk,  by  request  of  the  defence,  then  recalled 
Peter  Gammon. 

"  "We  are  sorry  to  trouble  you  again,  young  man," 
said  Mr.  Irwin ;  "  but  you  shall  not  be  detained  long. 
Will  you  be  good  enough  to  state  how  much  you  pay 
for  board?" 

"  I  pay  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents  a  week,"  replied 
Gammon. 

"  You  mean,  I  suppose,"  said  Mr.  Irwin,  "  that  you 
agree  to  do  it ;  for  it  is  intimated  that  you  do  not  pay 
your  board." 

The  witness,  being  already  somewhat  confused,  did 
not  see  the  aim  of  the  shrewd  lawyer,  but  supposed 
that  this  insinuation  about  his  board  would  operate  to 
his  disadvantage.     He  promptly  replied,  therefore, — 

"I  have  always  paid  my  board,  regularly,  and  can 
show  receipts." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  responded  Mr.  Irwin,  with 
a  slight  smile.  "Well,  Mr.  Gammon,  I  suppose  you 
clothe  yourself,  pay  your  washerwoman's  bill,  &c,  out 
of  the  remaining  dollar  and  a  half  of  your  salary  — 
do  you  not?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  was  the  reply  of  the  witness. 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  223 

"That  will  do,  Mr.  Gammon." 

Mr.  Irwin  then  turned  to  the  court,  and  said, — 

"  May  it  please  your  honor,  .  here  has  been  smart 
financiering,  which  I  trust  the  jury  will  note.  On  a 
salary  of  five  dollars  per  week,  it  appears,  this  Peter 
Gammon  has  managed  to  pay  three  and  a  half  for 
board,  to  clothe  himself,  and  to  meet  all  his  incidental 
expenses  —  including  "one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  or 
more,  for  books  in  a  Gift  Enterprise!" 

As  Mr.  Irwin  quietly  took  his  seat,  a  smile  was 
observable  on  the  countenances  of  all  the  spectators ; 
while  the  nervous  Mr.  Maplewood  was  compelled  to 
bite  his  lip  through  sheer  vexation. 


224  FEED   FREELAND,   OB 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

ADDITIONAL    WITNESSES    EXPECTED. 

The  prosecuting  attorney  had  inquired  if  the  defence 
wished  to  put  in  any  more  evidence,  and  Mr.  Irwin 
■was  about  to  give  a  negative  answer,  when  an  officer 
placed  in  the  last-named  gentleman's  hand  a  telegraphic 
message  which  had  just  been  delivered  to  him  at  the 
door.  Breaking  the  seal,  and  running  his  eye  over 
the  brief  communication,  Mr.  Irwin  immediately  rose 
from  his  seat,  with  the  open  message  in  his  hand,  and 
said,  — 

"May  it  please  the  court,  it  was  my  intention  to 
have  rested  the  defence  on  the  evidence  already  given 
in ;  but  I  have  here  the  gratifying  information  that 
two  important  witnesses  for  the  prisoner  are  now  on 
their  way  to  this  city,  in  the  cars,  and  will  reach  here 
at  two  o'clock  this  afternoon.  Therefore,  believing  it 
to  be  my  duty  to  secure  to  my  client  the  benefit  of 
such  additional  testimony,  I  most  respectfully  request 
a  postponement  of  the  case  until  three  o'clock." 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  225 

The  effect  of  this  information  was  to  create  a  new 
interest  in  the  minds  of  Fred's  numerous  friends,  and 
a  low  murmur  of  suppressed  gratification  buzzed  about 
the  room.  In  an  instant,  however,  Mr.  Maplewood 
came  upon  his  feet  with  one  of  his  quick,  peculiar, 
spasmodic  jerks,  the  suddenness  of  which,  to  those  not 
acquainted  with  his  manner  and  movements,  had  the 
appearance  of  endangering  every  joint  in  his  body. 
"With  some  excitement  he  began, — 

"May  it  please  your  honor,  I  seriously  object  to 
any  such  postponement  as  is  asked  for  by  the  other 
side.  This  case,  as  the  court  is  well  aware,  has  been 
put  off  for  some  three  months  to  allow  the  defence  an 
opportunity  to  bring  forward  evidence  which,  it  was 
urged,  could  not  be  made  available  at  an  earlier  day ; 
and  now,  at  the  eleventh  hour,  when  there  were  good 
reasons  for  supposing  that  the  evidence  had  all  been 
given  to  the  jury,  my  learned  brother  very  coolly  asks 
for  a  further  postponement  of  the  case,  to  await  the 
arrival  of  more  witnesses !  I  repeat,  your  honor,  that 
the  government  seriously  objects  to  any  postponement 
whatever." 

The  moment  the  counsel  for  the  prosecution  ceased 
speaking,  and  before  Mr.  Irwin  could  gain  his  feet  to 
make  a  reply,  Jenny  Freeland  sprang  from  her  seat 
beside  aunt  Mary,  —  her  father  having  been  called  out 

o 


226  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 

of  court  a  few  minutes  before,  by  one  of  his  clerks, 
on  important  business,  —  and  confronted  the  astonished 
Mr.  Maplewood  with  such  fierceness  and  hostility  in 
her  manner  as  to  cause  him  fairly  to  recoil  from  her 
presence.  Aunt  Mary  attempted  to  seize  Jenny's  arm ; 
but  she  eluded  her  grasp,  and  pressed  still  nearer  to 
the  fidgety  lawyer.  She  looked  the  very  picture  of 
Fury  herself,  and  there  seemed  almost  to  be  danger 
that  her  slight,  delicate  frame  might  undergo  dissolution 
from  the  effect  of  the  vehement  passion  which  had  so 
suddenly  usurped  the  place  of  cool  reason.  Violently 
stamping  her  tiny  foot  upon  the  floor,  and  raising  her 
hand  until  her  tremulous  finger  pointed  directly  at  Mr. 
Maplewood's  breast,  she  broke  forth  in  such  tones  of 
utter  defiance  and  withering  indignation  as  held  in 
silent  amazement,  for  a  few  moments,  the  judge,  jury, 
and  every  individual  in  the  court  room. 

"  Cruel  man !  "  she  cried.  "  Do  you  think  you  can 
change  the  will  of  God  by  trying  so  hard  to  make  it 
out  that  my  dear  brother  is  a  thief?  God  will  not 
let  any  one  so  good  as  my  kind  brother  Fred  be 
punished  for  a  crime  he  never  committed!  He  steal! 
He  would  sooner  die!  Shame  on  you,  Mr.  Lawyer, 
for  working  so  hard  to  make  him  out  guilty!  I  tell 
you  the  trial  shall  wait  for  the  two  witnesses,  and  they 
will  prove  Fred  innocent,  whatever  you  may  say!" 


THE    CHAIN    OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  227 

The  excited  child  paused — not  that  she  had  no  more 
to  say,  but  for  the  reason  that  her  strength  was  nearly 
exhausted  from  the  effects  of  her  tumultuous  emotions 
and  rapid  speech.  Aunt  Mary  made  another  attempt 
to  draw  Jenny  to  a  seat,  and  Mr.  Irwin  whispered  a 
kind  word  in  her  ear;  but  all  to  no  purpose.  She 
had  become  fully  impressed  with  the  idea  that  Mr. 
Maplewood  was  unjustly  endeavoring  to  bring  about 
Fred's  conviction,  and  hence  her  whole  nature,  usually 
so  gentle  and  loving,  had  undergone  a  change,  as  if 
by  electric  agency,  that  was  both  wonderful  and  fearful 
to  behold  —  wonderful,  because  it  was  so  instantaneous, 
and  fearful,  because  of  its  intensity.  This  sudden  and 
violent  passion  in  one  so  young,  and  usually  so  sweet 
tempered,  seemed  to  be  almost  proof  positive  that  a 
demon  had  gained  possession  of  her  soul,  with  full 
control  over  every  impulse  of  her  being,  and  was  fast 
hurrying  her  forward  to  perdition. 

Jenny  had  taken  breath,  and  was  about  to  continue 
her  harangue,  when  an  officer  made  his  way  towards 
her  with  the  evident  intention  of  removing  her  from 
the  court  room.  Fred  manifested  far  greater  anxiety 
during  his  sister's  wild  paroxysm  of  passion  than  he 
had  betrayed  at  any  of  the  proceedings  that  related 
to  himself  alone ;  and  at  this  juncture,  addressing  the 
judge  in  a  low  tone,  he  said, — 


228  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 

"  If  your  honor  will  permit  me  to  speak  to  my  sister, 
I  think  I  can  quiet  her  at  once." 

"  Do  so,"  replied  the  judge. 

"  Jenny !  "  said  Fred,  in  a  low,  impressive  tone,  as 
he  extended  his  hand  towards  her. 

"Fred/"  —  and  with  a  half-joyous,  half-wild  look  she 
sprang  forward  and  seized  his  outstretched  hand  in 
both  of  her  own. 

He  drew  her  gently  to  his  side,  and  whispered  in 
her  ear, — 

"  O  sister !  the  spirit  of  our  dear  mother  is  deeply 
grieved  at  this  wicked  passion  of  her  little  daughter ! " 

At  the  sound  of  that  hallowed  word,  " mother"  the 
whole  demeanor  of  the  deeply-excited  child  instantly 
underwent  a  change.  A  flood  of  tears  gave  relief  to 
her  over-heated  brain,  and  her  features  resumed  their 
wonted  expression  of  gentleness  and  love.  Looking 
up  to  the  judge,  she  exclaimed,  in  a  voice  of  deep 
contrition,  — 

"  0,  sir,  I  ask  ten  thousand  pardons  !  I  am  a  very 
wicked  child ;  but  I  hope  that  nothing  I  have  said  or 
done  will  hurt  my  dear  brother." 

"  Your  brother  will  have  a  fair  and  impartial  trial," 
said  the  judge,  kindly.  Then,  in  a  somewhat  sterner 
tone,  he  added,  "  But  you  must  not  again  interrupt 
the  proceedings  of  the  court." 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  229 

Jenny  quietly  took  her  seat,  and  concealed  her  face 
upon  the  shoulder  of  her  kind  aunt.  Order  having 
been  thus  restored,  Mr.  Irwin  rose  and  said, — 

'•  May  it  please  your  honor,  I  deem  it  unnecessary, 
after  the  scene  we  have  just  now  witnessed,  to  make 
any  reply  to  the  opposite  counsel's  remarks.  /  think 
he  has  been  answered.  For  his  satisfaction,  however, 
and  that  of  the  honorable  court,  I  will  say,  that  the 
communication  I  hold  in  my  hand  is  of  this  morning's 
date,  and  that  it  bears  the  signature  of  the  Hon.  Asa 
Maplewood  —  my  learned  brother's  eminent  and  much- 
esteemed  father.  To  me  this  is  a  sufficient  guarantee 
of  the  genuineness  and  importance  of  the  document,  as, 
doubtless,  it  will  be  to  your  honor  and  the  prosecuting 
attorney." 

Mr.  Maplewood  expressed  himself  perfectly  satisfied 
with  the  explanation,  and  withdrew  his  objection.  At 
this  moment  Mr.  Freeland  returned,  barely  in  season, 
to  hear  the  court  adjourned  till  three  o'clock,  P.  M., 
to  learn  from  Mr.  Irwin  the  purport  of  the  telegraphic 
message,  and  to  receive  from  Jenny  a  free  and  full 
confession  of  her  fault,  with  a  solemn  promise  that  she 
would  never  again  allow  such  wicked  feelings  to  gain 
possession  of  her  heart.  She  was  severely  punished 
for  her  offence  through  the  fear  she  experienced  lest 
her  conduct  might  have  tended,  in  some  way,  to  injure 
20 


230  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

the  cause  of  that  beloved  brother  in  whose  behalf  she 
■was  ready  to  sacrifice  almost  life  itself,  child  as  she 
•was,  to  rescue  his  name  from  reproach,  or  suspicion 
even,  and  to  restore  him  once  more  to  freedom  and 
happiness. 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES..  231 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 


THE    VERDICT. 


Upon  the  reopening  of  the  court,  at  three  o'clock, 
Mr.  Irwin  stated  that  he  was  fully  prepared  to  proceed 
with  the  trial,  and  that,  on  the  part  of  the  defence,  it 
should  now  occupy  a  brief  space  of  time  only.  There 
seemed  to  be  a  growing  interest  in  the  case,  as  the 
court  room  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity.  Directly 
the  clerk  called  "Jotham  Kimball"  —  whereupon  our 
young  hero's  old  friend  of  Rockmount  Green  memory, 
sprightly  as  ever,  took  the  stand,  and,  bowing  politely 
to  the  bench,  the  bar,  and  the  jury,  awaited  the  will 
of  the  court.  The  smart,  intelligent  look  of  the  old 
gentleman,  together  with  his  remarkable  activity,  at 
once  attracted  general  attention.  After  the  oath  had 
been  administered  to  the  venerable  witness,  Mr.  Irwin 
said,  — 

"  Major  Kimball,  will  you  please  to  state  where  you 
reside  ?  " 

"At  Portreef,  Maine,"  replied  the  major. 


232  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

"  Do  you  know  the  prisoner  here  on  trial  ?  "  inquired 
the  counsel. 

"  Certainly  I  do,"  responded  the  witness ;  "  and  I 
know  him  to  be  a  little  hero  too.  If  any  one  says 
aught  to  his  disadvantage,  it's  all  imagination." 

"  Be  good  enough,  Major  Kimball,  to  state  when  and 
where  you  ever  saw  the  prisoner  before  the  present 
time." 

"  I  saw  him  one  day  in  the  first  week  of  last  June," 
said  the  old  gentleman,  "out  to  Rockmount —  never 
shall  forget  it,  even  should  I  live  to  be  an  old  man  — 
saw  him  fight  a  great  battle  without  striking  a  single 
blow  —  his  only  weapons  were  firmness  and  kindness. 
He  came  off  with  flying  colors  then,  just  as  he  will 
do  now.  If  any  body  has  a  different  idea,  why,  it's 
all  imagination." 

"  Did  you  return  directly  home  from  Rockmount  last 
June,  Major  Kimball?" 

"No,  sir.  I  left  on  that  same  day  for  New  York, 
where  I  remained  about  a  fortnight." 

"  If  you  please,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Irwin,  "  you  may  now 
be  seated  for  a  few  moments,  while  another  witness  is 
examined,  and  then  we  shall  be  obliged  to  trouble  you 
again." 

"  No  trouble  at  all,"  replied  the  major,  "  for  I  have 
voluntarily  come  all  the  way  from  Portreef  to  give  my 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  233 

testimony  in  this  case ;  and  if  any  body  thinks  I  am 
going  to  leave  without  telling  '  the  truth,  the  whole 
truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,'  it's  all  imagination ; " 
and  the  worthy  old  gentleman  took  his  seat  amid  the 
approbatory  smiles  of  the  crowd. 

Mr.  Irwin  whispered  for  a  moment  in  the  ear  of 
Mr.  Freeland,  and  then  nodded  to  the  clerk,  who  at 
once  called, — , 

"  William,  Brown." 

At  the  sound  of  this  name  the  prisoner  started  as 
if  he  had  received  an  electric  shock,  although  to  other 
ears  it  carried  no  surprise,  as  there  might  be  many 
William  Browns  in  the  world.  But,  a  moment  after, 
when  a  stout,  sea-burnt  boy  in  sailor's  dress  rose  from 
his  seat  and  made  his  way  to  the  witness  stand,  no 
little  excitement  was  manifested  throughout  the  court 
room ;  for  one  after  another  of  the  Rockmount  people 
quickly  recognized  the  well-known  form  and  features 
of  Bill  Brown. 

As  soon  as  Bill  had  taken  the  oath,  and  the  first 
astonishment  created  by  his  unexpected  appearance  had 
somewhat  subsided,  —  unexpected  even  to  Fred,  who 
had  merely  been  informed  by  his  father  of  the  arrival 
of  Major  Kimball  and  a  "friend,"  —  Mr.  Irwin  made 
no  delay  in  bringing  the  trial  towards  a  speedy  close. 
Addressing  the  witness,  he  asked, — 
20* 


234  FRED   FREELAXD,    OR 

"  Where  do  you  live,  young  man  ? " 

"At  Rockmount,  sir." 

"  Where  have  you  been  for  the  last  three  months 
and  more  ?  " 

"  On  board  the  schooner  Sea  Gull,  fishing  on  the 
Grand  Bank  and  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy." 

"  When  did  you  leave  home  ? " 

"  On  the  18th  of  last  June." 

"  Well,  young  man,  as  there  has  been  a  report, 
supposed  to  be  well  authenticated,  that  you  were  lost 
overboard,  and  drowned,  about  a  fortnight  since,  will 
you  please  to  inform  the  court  in  what  manner  your 
life  was  preserved  ?  Otherwise,  as  we  wish  you  to 
testify  to  some  facts  in  this  case,  the  learned  counsel 
for  the  government  —  having  already  intimated  that 
the  defence  has  pursued  an  unprecedented  course  in 
this  trial  —  may  object  to  your  testimony  as  coming 
not  from  flesh  and  blood." 

There  was  a  slight  degree  of  sarcasm  in  the  lawyer's 
manner,  and  a  smile  overspread  the  crowd  of  faces 
throughout  the  room ;  but  his  opponent  did  not  care 
to  notice  the  quiet  thrust. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  will,"  said  the  witness,  in  reply  to  Mr. 
Irwin's  question.  "  I  was  lucky  enough  to  fall  in  with 
the  schooner's  boat,  which  was  carried  away  from  the 
davits  jist  before  I  fell  overboard,  and  I  drifted  to  the 


THE    CHAIX    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  235 

nearest  land  in  it.  From  there  I  made  out  to  git  to 
Major  Kimball's,  and  he  very  kindly  brought  me  to 
Boston." 

"  Believing,  your  honor,"  said  Mr.  Irwin,  "  that  there 
can  be  no  doubt  now  as  to  the  identity  of  this  person, 
I  wish  to  call  the  attention  of  the  jury  to  whatever 
facts  may  be  elicited  from  his  testimony  and  that  of 
the  witness  who  will  immediately  succeed  him."  Then 
turning  to  Bill,  he  added,  "  Do  you  know  the  prisoner 
at  the  bar?"  1 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  When  did  you  see  him  last,  previous  to  the  present 
time?" 

"  On  the  18th  of  June  —  the  day  I  left  home  to  go 
a-fishing." 

"  "Where  did  you  finally  part  with  him  on  that  day  ? 
and  at  what  hour?" 

"  We  parted  at  the  corner  of  School  and  Washington 
Streets,  at  jist  four  o'clock." 

"  Are  you  positive  as  to  the  exact  time  of  day  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  for  the  '  Old  South '  clock  struck  four  jist 
as  we  shook  hands  and  parted.  Fred  was  goin'  to  his 
father's  store ;  and  I  went  to  the  cars."  / 

Mr.  Irwin  informed  the  prosecuting  attorney  that  he 
could  now  question  the  witness  if  he  chose  to  do  so. 
Accordingly,  Bill  was  subjected  to  a  most  searching 


23 G  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

cross-examination ;  but  every  question  was  met  with 
a  degree  of  candor  and  promptness  that  strengthened, 
rather  than  weakened,  his  direct  testimony.  In  fact, 
his  evidence  so  fully  corroborated  the  prisoner's  own 
statement  of  the  facts,  —  except  with  regard  to  the 
envelope  and  money,  of  which,  as  the  reader  is  aware, 
he  knew  nothing,  —  that  Mr.  Maplewood  was  quite 
willing  to  allow  him  to  retire  from  the  stand. 

Major  Kimball  having  been  recalled,  the  court  was 
informed  by  Mr.  Irwin  that  .the  testimony  for  the 
defence  would  close  with  this  witness.  Then,  turning 
to  the  old  gentleman,  he  said, — 

"  Will  you  be  kind  enough,  sir,  to  state  to  the  court 
where  you  were  on  the  18th  of  June  last?" 

"  Certainly  I  will,"  replied  the  major,  bowing.  "  I 
arrived  in  Boston,  from  New  York,  by  the  Fall  River 
route,  early  on  the  morning  of  that  day,  and  stopped 
at  the  United  States  Hotel." 

"  Are  you  quite  positive  as  to  the  date  ? " 

"To  be  sure  I  am.  I  left  New  York  on  the  17th 
—  to  suppose  that  an  old  soldier  could  possibly  forget 
where  he  was  on  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill  would  be  all  imagination." 

"  How  long  did  you  remain  in  Boston  at  that  time, 
Major  Kimball?" 

"  I  left  for  home  the  same  afternoon,  at  five  o'clock." 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  237 

"  Po  you  know  the  locality,  sir,  of  Messrs.  Cutt, 
Slash,  &  Co.'s  establishment,  in  this  city?" 

■  I  do." 

"  Did  you  pass  it  on  the  afternoon  of  the  day  in 
question  ?  " 

"I  did." 

"  Very  well,  sir.  You  may  now,  if  you  please,  state 
to  the  court  and  jury,  without  waiting  to  be  questioned, 
whether  any  circumstance  at  that  time,  and  in  that 
vicinity,  attracted  your  attention." 

"  Thank  you  for  the  liberty,"  said  the  old  gentleman. 
"  This  idea  which  lawyers  seem  to  have,  that  they  must 
question  a  witness  all  the  time  he  is  testifying,  is  all 
imagination.  It  is  much  better  to  let  every  man  tell 
his  own  story  in  his  own  way.  "Well,  I  left  the  United 
States  Hotel,  on  the  18th  of  last  June,  at  about  half 
past  three  o'clock,  P.  M.  I  wanted  to  make  a  few 
trifling  purchases  while  on  my  way  to  the  cars,  which 
were  to  leave  at  five.  I  went  into  a  store  directly 
opposite  to  that  of  Messrs.  Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co.,  where 
I  bought  an  article  that  amounted  to  two  dollars.  I 
gave  a  five-dollar  bill,  and  received  a  three  back.  The 
bill  given  me  in  the  store  had  one  corner  torn  nearly 
off.     I  had  it  in  my  hand  when  I  came  out. 

"  Crossing  over  into  the  street  in  the  rear  of  Cutt, 
Slash,  &  Co.'s,  I  noticed  a  curtain,  at  an  open  window 


238  l'KED   KUEELAXD,   OR 

in  the  second  story  of  their  building,  move  slightly 
aside,  and  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  young  man,  who  had 
very  red  hair  and  mustaches,  as  he  threw  a  buff-colored 
envelope  into  the  street.  As  it  reached  the  sidewalk, 
I  stooped  and  picked  it  up ;  and  at  the  same  time,  as 
I  then  thought,  put  the  three-dollar  bill  —  which  I  had 
till  then  held  in  my  fingers  —  into  my  vest  pocket. 
The  envelope  was  addressed  to  -Messrs.  Cutt,  Slash, 
&  Co.  It  was  open,  and  contained  nothing.  As  I 
stood  there,  admiring  the  beautiful  handwriting  which 
the  superscription  exhibited,  a  church  clock  struck  the 
hour  of  four.  I  then  threw  the  envelope  down,  and 
proceeded  to  the  depot. 

a  When  about  to  buy  my  ticket,  I  felt  in  my  vest 
pocket  for  the  bill.  The  corner  of  it  was  there,  but 
nothing  more.  The  bill  itself  must  have  dropped  in 
the  street  when  I  attempted  to  put  it  into  my  pocket. 
I  readily  consoled  myself  with  the  hope  that  some  one 
would  find  it,  and  make  good  use  of  it,  who  needed 
it  more  than  I  did. 

"  I  thought  no  more  of  these  little  circumstances 
until  I  saw  a  notice  of  this  case  in  yesterday's  paper, 
wherein  some  of  the  grounds  were  given  on  which  the 
indictment  is  based,  when  I  made  preparation  at  once 
to  leave  in  the  first  train  for  the  scene  of  action.  I 
had  reason  to  believe  that  my  evidence  would  serve 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  239 

the  cause  of  justice.  If  any  body  thinks  it  will  not, 
it's  all  imagination." 

During  the  brief  space  of  time  occupied  by  the  old 
gentleman  in  giving  this  testimony,  in  his  own  peculiar 
style,  not  a  sound  was  heard  in  that  large  assemblage 
save  the  voice  of  the  witness  himself;  but,  as  he  ceased 
to  speak,  a  low  buzz,  from  hundreds  of  lips,  passed 
through  the  room,  and  a  general  confidence  in  the 
youthful  prisoner's  speedy  acquittal  might  have  been 
read  on  the  crowd  of  happy  faces  around.  But  there 
was  within  those  wms  one  countenance  on  which  were 
pictured  shame,  confusion,  and  remorse. 

"Major  Kimball,"  said  Mr.  Irwin,  who  considered 
the  evidence  as  hardly  yet  complete,  "  if  you  will  now 
have  the  goodness  to  answer  one  or  two  more  questions, 
we  will  then  trouble  you  no  further." 

"  I  am  at  your  service,  sir,"  replied  the  major,  with 
one  of  his  polite  bows. 

"  Do  you  recollect  what  bank  the  bill  was  of  that 
you  lost?" 

"  Perfectly  well,  sir.     The  City  Bank,  Boston." 

"And  do  you  remember,  sir,  which  corner  of  the 
bill  was  torn  ?  " 

"I  do.     It  was  the  lower,  right-hand  corner." 

Upon  this,  the  lawyer  for  the  prosecution  was  heard 
to  say,  by  those  seated  near  him,  "  I  give  up  the  case. 


240  FRED    FREELAXD,   OR 

The  boy  is  innocent  —  and  I  am  glad  of  it."  Mr. 
Maplewood  had  a  heart  and  a  conscience,  and  they 
spoke  the  feelings  of  the  man  in  this  instance  —  his 
profession  has  been  heard  heretofore.  If,  however,  as 
counsel  for  the  government,  he  has  appeared  to  think 
only  of  a  rigid  duty  thereto,  and  of  his  own  reputation 
as  a  lawyer  in  gaining  the  case,  —  leaving  it  wholly 
with  the  prisoner's  counsel  to  see  that  a  noble-hearted 
and  innocent  boy  is  not  made  to  suffer  unjustly,  —  the 
rules  of  the  bar,  the  law  of  the  land,  and  the  perfect 
acquiescence  of  the  whole  Christial  world  uphold  him 
in  this  position,  notwithstanding  its  justness  might  be 
questioned  by  the  inexperienced  Jenny  Freeland,  and, 
perhaps,  by  some  of  our  young  readers. 

The  three-dollar  bill  that  had  been  used  as  evidence 
against  Fred  in  the  early  part  of  the  trial  was  now 
reproduced,  and  the  witness  positively  asserted  that  it 
was  the  identical  bill  lost  by  him  in  the  manner  before 
described.  The  envelope  was  also  readily  identified  by 
him. 

"  You  did  not,  I  suppose,  Major  Kimball,  preserve 
the  corner  of  the  bill  you  found  remaining  in  your 
pocket  at  that  time  ? "  said  Mr.  Irwin,  inquiringly. 

"  I  have  been  waiting  to  see  if  you  would  come  to 
that,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  with  a  smile,  as  he  drew 
forth  his  pocket  book,  opened  it,  and  took  from  one  of 


THE   CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  241 

its  compartments  a  small  piece  of  paper,  which,  with 
the  bill,  he  at  once  passed  to  Mr.  Irwin. 

"  Ah  !  what  is  this  ?  "  said  the  lawyer,  as  a  smile  of 
gratification  played  upon  his  countenance. 

*  I  did  not  know  the  importance  of  that  little  scrap 
of  paper  when  I  preserved  it,"  said  the  major ;  "  but 
I  have  always  made  it  a  rule  never  to  destroy  any 
thing  that  could  just  as  well  be  saved.  If  any  body 
thinks  differently,  it's  all  imagination." 

The  counsel  on  bflih  sides  scrutinized  the  bill,  —  now 
made  whole  by  the  corner  piece  furnished  by  Major 
Kimball,  —  and  then  passed  it  to  the  judge,  and  from 
him  to  the  jury.  All  examined  it,  all  were  convinced 
—  it  was  made  perfect  in  every  letter,  figure,  and  dot ; 
there  could  be  no  mistake.  This  bill,  then,  found  upon 
Fred,  when  arrested,  was  the  identical  one  lost  by  the 
old  gentleman ;  but  the  somewhat  singular  coincidence 
of  its  answering  to  the  description  of  some  of  those 
lost  by  Messrs.  Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co.,  together  with  other 
circumstances  \n  the  case,  had  fastened  the  crime  upon 
our  little  hero  with  an  appearance  of  guilt  amounting 
almost  to  certainty.  Innocence,  however,  seemed  now 
about  to  triumph. 

Mr.  Irwin  informed  the  court  that  he  had  agreed 
with  the  opposite  counsel  to  let  the  case  go  to  the 
jury  without  argument.  All  parties  appeared  to  be 
21  p 


242  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

satisfied  with  this  arrangement,  as,  assuredly,  there 
was  no  necessity  for  pleading.  The  judge  addressed  a 
few  words  to  the  jury,  to  the  effect  that  the  evidence 
was  clear  and  ample,  and  that  he  saw  no  reason  why 
they  could  not  render  a  verdict  at  once. 

The  jury  consulted  together  only  a  moment,  without 
leaving  their  seats,  when  the  foreman  rose  and  informed 
the  court  that  their  verdict  was  made  up.  And  to  the 
question,  "  Is  the  prisoner  guilty,  or  not  guilty  ? "  the 
answer  was  given,  full  and  clear,  "Not  guilty!" 

It  was  with  some  difficulty  thsWthe  joyful  spectators 
could  restrain  their  feelings  of  approbation  when  the 
verdict  was  announced.  The  strict  and  well-known 
rules  of  the  court  room,  however,  were  regarded,  and 
in  a  moment  or  two  perfect  silence  was  restored.  The 
judge  then  addressed  a  few  appropriate  and  kind  words 
to  Fred,  congratulating  him  upon  the  reestablishment, 
beyond  even  the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  of  his  previously 
unblemished  character,  and  forthwith  gave  him  his 
formal  discharge. 

As  Fred  stepped  forth,  free  and  happy,  Jenny  was 
the  first  to  meet  him.  With  a  slight  exclamation  of 
joy  she  sprang  forward  into  his  arms.  Dropping  her 
head  upon  his  breast,  with  her  gentle  and  loving  face 
upturned  towards  his,  she  murmured,  "  Brother  —  dear 
brother ! "  whilst  a  profuse  shower  of  tears  gave  relief 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  243 

to  her  long  pent-up  fears  and  anxieties.  There  was 
scarcely  a  dry  eye  in  that  assemblage  of  interested 
spectators  as  they  witnessed  the  true  and  holy  bond 
of  aifection  existing  between  that  youthful  brother  and 
sister  —  an  affection  that  had  never  been  marred  by 
an  unkind  thought,  word,  or  deed. 

Thoughtless  boy  reader !  consider  well  ere  you  allow 
a  single  harsh  word  or  look  to  go  forth  towards  your 
little  sister,  lest  you  wound  a  heart  as  true,  faithful, 
and  loving  as  that  of  Jenny  Freeland. 


244  FEED   FBEELAND,    OE 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

CONFESSION. THE   HAPPY  "MEETING. 

Immediately  upon  the  adjournment  of  the  court, 
at  the  close  of  the  trial,  and  before  any  of  the  parties 
had  left  the  Court  House,  Peter  ^unmon  approached 
Mr.  Slash  and  made  a  full  confession  of  the  crime  of 
which  Fred  Freeland  had  just  been  acquitted. 

His  idea,  he  said,  in  throwing  the  envelope  into  the 
street,  had  been  to  give  color  to  the  supposition  that 
the  thief  had  dropped  it  on  his  way  from  the  store. 
In  stating,  at  the  time  the  money  was  missed,  that  he 
saw  Fred  take  up  the  envelope  at  the  desk,  it  had 
been  by  no  means  his  intention  to  fasten  suspicion 
permanently  upon  that  innocent  boy.  His  purpose 
was,  merely,  to  divert  the  attention  of  Mr.  Slash  from 
too  close  a  search  within  the  building,  and  thus  gain 
time  to  secrete  the  money.  He  had  not  at  that  time, 
he  said,  the  slightest  idea  that  any  evidence  would  be 
found  of  sufficient  weight  to  cause  Fred's  committal ; 
but  when  he  was  brought  back  by  the  officer  into  the 


THE    CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  245 

store,  with  such  strong  evidence  of  guilt  found  upon 
him,  he  saw  no  way  to  clear  him  without  criminating 
himself.  Hence  he  had  alloyed  the  law  to  take  its 
course. 

His  conscience,  he  said,  had  given  him  much  trouble 
at  times,  and  he  had  more  than  once  almost  made  up 
his  mind  to  disclose  the  whole  matter ;  but  his  moral 
courage  was  hardly  equal  to  such  an  undertaking.  He 
was  certain  he  secured  all  the  money  before  throwing 
the  envelope  into  the  street,  and  consequently  he  had 
been  unable  to  account  for  the  three-dollar  bill  found 
in  Fred's  possession.  He  had  tried  hard,  with  partial 
success,  to  quiet  his  conscience  —  with  regard  to  the 
gross  injustice  he  was  doing  that  boy  —  by  endeavoring 
to  make  himself  believe  that  he  had  stolen  the  bill 
at  the  time  he  took  up  the  envelope  from  Mr.  Slash's 
desk,  and  that  hence  he  was  not  causing  an  innocent 
boy  to  suffer;  but  Major  Kimball's  testimony  had  not 
left  for  him  even  that  fallacy. 

He  solemnly  averred  that  this  was  his  first,  and  it 
6hould  be  his  last,  dishonest  act ;  that  he  had  been  led 
to  perpetrate  the  crime  through  the  allurements  held 
out  by  the  numerous  Gift  Enterprises  of  the  day ;  that 
he  deeply  regretted  the  wrong  he  had  done  to  society 
and  his  employers,  to  Fred  and  his  friends.  With 
tears  of  repentance  in  his  eyes  he  entreated  Mr.  Slash 
21* 


246  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

not  to  give  him  over  to  the  law.  He  promised,  in  all 
sincerity,  to  make  remuneration  for  every  mill  of  the 
money  taken,  and  to  be  governed,  thenceforth,  by  strict 
conscientious  faithfulness  and  honesty,  if  only  allowed 
the  opportunity  to  carry  out  his  resolves. 

"It  may  be  urged,  with  truth,"  said  the  penitent 
young  man,  in  conclusion,  "  that  I  deserve  punishment 
to  the  extent  of  the  law  for  this  criminal  deed,  the 
enormity  of  which  is  greatly  increased  by  the  fact  of 
my  allowing  the  suspicion  to  rest  upon  a  noble  and 
innocent  boy,  and  even  by  assisting  in  the  attempt  to 
convict  him  of  the  crime  committed  by  myself.  But, 
O,  I  have  already  suffered  the  most  excruciating  of 
all  punishments  —  that  of  a  guilty  conscience  !  and  I 
feel  that  it  has  fulfilled  a  salutary  work.  I  know  it 
is  a  late  day  to  make  the  confession,  but  I  humbly 
beg  an  opportunity  to  prove  its  sincerity." 

Fred's  generous  nature  was  touched  by  the  urgent 
and  sincere  appeal  made  to  Mr.  Slash  by  the  young 
man,  and  he  at  once  warmly  interceded  in  his  behalf, 
seconded  by  Mr.  Freeland  and  Jenny.  Fred  possessed 
that  truly  magnanimous  nature  which  is  ever  ready  to 
forgive  an  injury,  of  whatever  extent,  if  satisfactory 
evidence  be  given  that  the  perpetrator  of  it  is  sincere 
in  his  professions  of  repentance ;  and  Jenny,  in  this 
instance,  partook  of  her  brother's  spirit,  and  seemed 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  247 

willing  to  overlook  the  great  wrong  inflicted  upon  him 
by  Peter  Gammon. 

Mr.  Slash,  after  holding  a  brief  consultation  with 
his  partners,  kindly  consented  to  allow  Peter  to  retain 
his  situation,  and  thus  afforded  him  an  opportunity  to 
retrieve  his  character  from  a  stain  that  might  otherwise 
have  rested  upon  it  for  a  lifetime,  or,  perhaps,  have 
formed  a  nucleus  for  crimes  of  a  darker  dye. 

The  moment  Fred  was  outside  the  Court  House,  he 
found  himself  clasped  in  Bill  Brown's  arms  with  as 
much  cordiality  as  if  they  had  been  long-separated 
brothers,  while  a  crowd  of  his  young  schoolfellows 
huddled  around  him  with  hearty  congratulations  and 
rejoicings  at  his  restoration  to  liberty  and  friends. 

"Why  didn't  you  telegraph  to  me  to  come  back, 
Fred,  when  they  first  'rested  you  ?  "  asked  Bill.  "  I'd 
have  come,  if  I'd  walked  every  inch  of  the  way  from 
Hooksink?" 

"  I  don't  doubt  it,  Bill,  in  the  least,"  replied  Fred ; 
"  but  I  was  certain  you  knew  nothing  about  the  money, 
and  I  was  afraid  it  might  make  trouble  for  you  if  you 
came  back  ;  so  I  persuaded  father  off  the  notion  of 
sending  after  you." 

"  The  same  gen'rous  Fred  still ! "  exclaimed  Bill,  as 
a  tear  glistened  in  his  eye.  "Always  wantin'  to  do 
good  to  others,  without  ever  thinkin'  of  yourself." 


248  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 

Mr.  Freeland,  who  had  been  speaking  apart  to  Major 
Kimball,  at  this  moment  stepped  in  among  the  boys, 
and  informed  Fred  that  the  old  gentleman  had  accepted 
an  invitation  to  accompany  them  home  and  spend  the 
night,  and  that  they  were  all  ready  to  proceed  to  the 
coach. 

In  the  space  of  a  few  minutes  Mr.  Freeland  and 
his  family,  together  with  the  major  and  Bill,  were 
seated  in  one  of  the  Rockmount  coaches.  Another 
coach  was  completely  filled  by  Fred's  young  friends 
who  had  attended  the  trial,  and  who  were  now  kept 
in  a  state  of  continual  merriment  by  the  frolicsome 
and  happy  humor  of  "Laughing  Rol." 

Our  old  friend,  Major  Kimball,  had  lost  none  of  his 
antipathy  to  omnibuses;  but  he  was  too  much  of  the 
gentleman,  and  possessed  too  kind  a  heart,  to  mar  the 
enjoyment  of  that  happy  company  by  making  objection 
to  the  mode  of  conveyance.  He  was  very  agreeable 
and  social.  Had  he  been  Fred's  grandfather  he  could 
not  have  been  happier  in  the  result  of  the  trial.  Bill 
Brown,  during  the  long  ride  in  the  cars  that  morning, 
had  given  the  major  a  detailed  account  of  Fred  and 
Jenny's  kindness  to  him  before  he  went  on  his  fishing 
cruise.  Consequently,  the  old  gentleman's  interest  in 
Mr.  Freeland's  family,  as  well  as  in  Bill  himself,  had 
increased  not  a  little  after  leaving  home ;  and  now,  as 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  249 

the  coach  rattled  along  towards  Rockmount,  he  made 
many  inquiries  of  Mr.  Freeland  and  aunt  Mary  with 
regard  to  Mrs.  Brown's  circumstances  and  character, 
and  her  capabilities  as  a  housekeeper.  Having  been 
satisfactorily  answered,  the  major  remarked  that  he 
had  something  in  contemplation,  which,  if  carried  out, 
he  thought  might  operate  to  the  advantage  of  both 
mother  and  son. 

Fred,  Jenny,  and  Bill  were  in  earnest  conversation 
as  to  the  best  plan  of  acquainting  Mrs.  Brown  —  who 
was  as  yet  totally  ignorant  of  her  son's  preservation 
—  with  the  happiness  that  awaited  her. 

Roland  Parks  and  Charles  Hayward,  with  one  or 
two  more  of  the  boys  in  the  other  coach,  were  busily 
engaged  in  planning  a  little  aifair  which  they  intended 
to  carry  into  execution  that  very  evening. 

Mr.  Freeland  and  his  sister,  with  Major  Kimball, 
rode  directly  home;  but  Fred,  Jenny,  and  Bill  left 
the  coach  at  the  Rockmount  Post  Office,  and  walked 
up  the  street  towards  Mrs.  Brown's.  Before  reaching 
the  house,  Bill  dropped  a  little  in  the  rear,  to  allow 
his  two  young  friends  opportunity  to  carry  into  effect 
the  plan  they  had  decided  upon.  Presently,  Jenny 
gave  a  slight  tap  upon  the  door.  It  was  opened  at 
once  by  Mrs.  Brown,  wtio  said,  with  a  smile, — 

"  I  knew  it  was  your  gentle  knock,  Jenny ;  I  always 


250  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

know  it  from  any  other  —  it  has  a  sound  of  friendship 
in  it.  And  here  is  Fred ! "  she  cried,  cordially  taking 
his  hand.  "  Proved  innocent,  of  course.  I  know  it 
must  be  so.     O,  how  happy  I  am  to  see  you ! " 

"  Yes,"  said  Jenny ;  "  every  thing  is  cleared  up,  and 
Fred  is  free  and  happy  again." 

"  0,  how  thankful  I  am ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Brown. 
"  I  was  certain  of  your  innocence,  Fred,  and  felt  fully 
confident  that  one  who  had  been  so  kind  and  generous 
to  my  poor  lost  boy  would  not  suffer  long  under  a 
false  accusation;"  and  the  poor  widow  sobbed  aloud 
at  the  recollection  of  her  recent  bereavement 

"  Do  you  not  think  it  possible,  Mrs.  Brown,"  said 
Fred,  "  that  William  may  have  been  rescued  by  some 
means,  and  that  you  will  yet  hear  from  him?" 

"  Such  a  thought  has  at  times  forced  itself  upon  my 
mind,"  replied  the  weeping  woman ;  "  but  so  many  days 
have  now  passed  by,  that  I  dare  not  hope  any  longer." 

"  I  think  there  is  still  very  good  reason  to  hope," 
rejoined  Fred,  "  for  Major  Kimball  —  you  have  heard 
us  speak  of  him  before  —  has  just  come  from  Portreef, 
and  he  says  that  a  boy,  answering  to  the  description 
of  "William,  was  picked  up  alive  and  well  in  an  open 
boat  yesterday  morning  in  Casco  Bay." 

"  O !  is  it  so  ?  may  I  still  hope  ? "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Brown,  as  her  countenance  lighted  up  through  copious 


THE    CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  251 

tears.  "But  no  —  it  cannot  be;  and  I  shall  only  be 
doomed  to  sad  disappointment  if  I  indulge  such  hope ; " 
and  she  looked  despondingly  again. 

"I  advise  you,  Mrs.  Brown,"  said  Fred,  "to  keep 
up  good  spirits,  for  I  feel  quite  certain  that  William 
is  alive  and  well — don't  you,  Jenny?" 

"  O,  yes,  I  feel  sure  of  it,"  she  cheerfully  replied. 
Then,  turning  to  the  weeping  woman,  in  the  same 
happy  and  confident  tone  she  continued,  "And  noAv, 
Mrs.  Brown,  you  must  just  wipe  away  all  these  tears, 
for  I  almost  know  you  will  see  William  again  alive 
and  well  before  long." 

"  My  dear  young  friends,"  said  the  poor  woman,  as 
■  she  made  an  effort  to  appear  calm,  "  you  have  ever 
been  as  comforting  angels  to  me  in  my  troubles,  and 
I  think  you  would  not  at  this  time  knowingly  raise 
false  hopes  in  my  bosom.  I  pray  Heaven  you  may 
not  be  mistaken  with  regard  to  this  information ! " 

"And  they  ain't  mistaken,  my  dear  mother,"  cried 
Bill,  as  he  bounded  into  the  room  and  caught  the 
happily-surprised  woman  in  his  arms  with  an  embrace 
much  more  affectionate  than  gentle.  "Yes,  mother," 
continued  Bill,  "  I'm  alive  and  well,  as  Jenny  says ; 
and  what's  more,  I  hope  I've  got  rid  of  some  of  them 
'wicked  thougkts'  she  told  me  about  once." 

"  God  be  praised ! "  was  all  the  mother  could  utter, 


252  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

v 
as   she  pressed  that  son,  whom  she  had  mourned  a3 

dead,  again   and  again  to  her  bosom,  now  throbbing 
with  exceeding  joy. 

Fred  whispered  a  word  in  Jenny's  ear,  and  the  two 
young  messengers  of  hope  and  happiness  glided  with 
noiseless  steps  out  of  the  room,  leaving  the  mother 
and  son  to  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  a  deeper,  truer, 
holier  interchange  of  thought  and  affection  than  ever 
before  had  thrilled  their  hearts. 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  253 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

THE    SURPRISE    PARTY.  —  BILL    BROWN'S    NARRATIVE. 

Directly  after  tea,  Fred  and  Jenny  —  forgetting 
not  in  their  own  happiness  that  there  were  others  to 
whose  hearts,  by  true  neighborly  kindness,  they  might 
carry  the  grateful  blessing  of  sociality  —  obtained  leave 
to  walk  down  to  Mrs.  Fox's  to  inquire  after  John's 
health.  Fred  had  heard,  of  course,  from  day  to  day, 
all  about  the  young  man's  sickness  and  recovery,  as 
well  as  of  his  restoration  to  sound  reason,  and  he  was 
anxious  to  witness  for  himself  the  almost  miraculous 
change  that  a  few  days'  had  wrought  in  his  intellect, 
and  also  to  tender  him  his  heartfelt  thanks  for  his 
noble  conduct  in  rescuing  Jenny  from  an  untimely 
death. 

They  found  John  in  good  spirits,  and  with  health 
so  far  restored  that  he  contemplated  going  out  in  the 
course  of  a  few  days.  He  was  much  gratified  to  see 
his  two  young  friends,  and  congratulated  Fred  on  hi3 
honorable  acquittal  at  his  trial  in  a  manner  that  left 
22 


254      ,  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

no  reason  to  doubt  the  perfectly  clear  and  sound  state 
of  his  mind. 

To  all  the  thanks  expressed  by  Fred  -with  regard 
to  the  successful  exertions  made  in  Jenny's  behalf  on 
the  evening  of  the  destruction  of  the  steamer,  John 
replied  that  he  had  only  performed  his  duty;  and 
added,  —  referring  to  his  restored  intellect,  —  "  Have 
I  not  been  well  repaid?" 

Mrs.  Fox  and  John  were  very  happy  to  hear  that 
Bill  Brown  had"  reached  home  safe  and  well.  They 
had  more  questions  to  ask  in  relation  to  the  matter 
than  Fred  and  Jenny  could  well  answer  at  that  time, 
as  they  had  promised  their  father  to  return  home 
within  an  hour.  Accordingly,  after  a  cordial  "  Good 
night,"  and  a  promise  to  "  call  again  soon,"  our  happy 
young  friends  retraced  their  steps  homeward.  As  they 
drew  near  to  the  house,  Jenny  suddenly  exclaimed, — 

"Why,  Fred,  just  see  all  those  folks  at  our  door! 
What  can  it  mean?" 

"  I  don't  know,  I'm  sure,"  said  Fred ;  "  but  it  seems 
that  we've  got  lots  of  company." 

Upon  entering  the  house,  they  heard  many  merry 
voices  in  the  parlor.  As  they  passed  through  the 
dining  room,  in  the  direction  of  the  sounds,  they  were 
met  by  Roland  Parks,  his  countenance  glowing  with 
mirthfulness,  who  politely  insisted  on  introducing  them 


THE    CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  255 

to  his  company.  Ushering  them  into  the  parlor,  where 
some  twenty  or  more  of  their  friends  were  assembled, 
he  jocosely  introduced  them  as  "  the  right  honorable 
Master  Fred  and  Miss  Jenny  Freeland." 

The  brother  and  sister  were  not  a  little  surprised 
at  this  unexpected  gathering  of  their  friends ;  and  this 
surprise  was  in  no  degree  lessened  by  the  harmless 
officiousness  of  Laughing  Rol.  They  were  too  well 
bred,  however,  to  show  any  signs  of  embarrassment, 
and  consequently  met  and  returned  the  salutations  of 
their  friends  as  they  would  have  done  on  any  other 
occasion  —  readily,  pleasantly,  and  politely. 

Very  soon  the  door  bell  jingled  away  at  a  furious 
rate,  and  Roland  started  to  answer  the  summons ;  but 
Jenny  was  too  quick  for  him,  and  had  the  door  open 
before  he-  could  get  out  of  the  room. 

"Walk  in,"  said  Jenny,  cheerfully,  as  she  ran  her 
eye  over  the  crowd .  of  persons  at  the  door,  among 
whom  were  Mrs.  Brown  and  Bill.  A  few  minutes 
later,  having  conducted  the  newly-arrived  company 
into  the  parlor,  she  said, — 

"  Father,  I  really  believe  this  is  a  '  surprise  party,' 
and  I  guess  that  Roland  Parks  knows  more  about  it 
than  any  body  else." 

"It  is  an  agreeable  surprise,  at  all  events,"  replied 
Mr.  Freeland,  as,  to  one  after  another,  he   extended 


256  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

the  friendly  hand,  and  cordially  welcomed  them  to  his 
now  happy  home. 

"It  is  a  surprise  party,  and  in  honor  of  our  dear 
Fred,"  said  aunt  Mary  to  herself.  Her  eye  sparkled 
with  happiness,  and  she  seemingly  grew  ten  years 
younger  at  the  thought. 

The  company  had  swelled  in  number  to  upwards  of 
fifty,  the  majority  being  youths  of  either  sex.  It  ia 
seldom  that  any  occasion  brings  together  so  happy  a 
group.  Major  Kimball  was  as  full  of  life  as  any  one 
of  the  party.  He  chatted  freely  and  pleasantly  with 
all,  both  old  and  young,  and  entered  into  the  spirit 
of  the  various  little  harmless  amusements  of  the  latter 
with  as  much  sprightliness  and  merriment  as  Laughing 
Eol  himself.  The  party  embraced  all  the  boys  first 
introduced  to  the  reader  on  Rockmount  Green,  not 
even  excepting  "  Little  Stubby "  Steele. 

After  the  juvenile  portion  of  the  company  had  for 
an  hour  or  more  amused  themselves  in  various  ways, 
while  the  topic  of  conversation  among  their  elders 
had  naturally  turned  upon  the  somewhat  remarkable 
chain  of  circumstances  that  had  fallen  under  the  notice 
of  nearly  all  present  during  the  last  four  months, 
Major  Kimball  proposed  that  33111  Brown  should  relate 
to  the  company  the  full  particulars  of  his  providential 
escape  from  drowning.     Bill  was  somewhat  reluctant 


THE    CHAIN'    OF  '  CIRCUMSTANCES.  257 

about  commencing,  but,  on  being  urged  by  nearly  all 
present,  he  finally  consented.  We  will  allow  him  to 
tell  his  own  story,  but  shall  not  rary  orthography  to 
conform  to  his  false  pronunciation. 

"  As  soon  as  I  knew  what  I  was  about,"  commenced 
Bill,  "  when  I  found  myself  overboard,  I  began  to  think 
of  the  chances  for  my  life,  which  I  reckoned  rather 
slim.  I  knew  they  couldn't  do  any  thing  on  board 
the  vessel  to  save  me,  because  the  breakers  were  so 
near;  and,  in  fact,  the  Sea  Gull  wras  out  of  sight  in 
a  very  few  moments.  I  am  a  pretty  good  swimmer; 
and  thinking  they  would  throw  some  light  articles 
overboard,  I  struck  out,  as  well  as  I  could  in  the 
heavy  sea,  to  look  for  something  to  keep  me  from 
sinking.  Presently  I  saw  something  close  by  me  that 
looked  in  the  dark  like  the  schooner's  boat — :  which  it 
proved  to  be ;  and  in  a  minute  more  I  had  the  great 
happiness  of  catching  fast  hold  of  her  bow.  She  was 
right  side  up,  though  quarter  part  full  of  water.  I 
had  hard  work  to  get  on  board,  but  at  last  made  out 
to  do  so.  After  resting  a  few  minutes,  I  pulled  off 
one  of  my  boots,  and  began  to  bale  the  water  out  of 
the  boat  with  it.  I  soon  found  that  the  boat  didn't 
leak,  but  that  the  water  had  been  taken  in  when  the 
sea  carried  her  away  from  the  davits,  just  before  I 
was  lost  over. 

22*  Q 


258  FEED    FREELAN'D,    OB 

"I  hadn't  been  in  the  boat  long  before  I  saw  that 
day  was  breaking ;  and  as  it  got  to  be  a  little  lighter, 
I  could  see  land,  off  to  leeward,  when  the  boat  was 
on  the  top  of  the  waves.  It  had  stopped  raining,  and 
the  sea  didn't  run  near  so  high ;  but  there  was  still  a 
strong  breeze  blowing  directly  towards  a  low,  smooth 
shore,  while  some  distance  to  windward  I  could  see 
the  high  bluff  where  the  Sea  Gull  had  come  so  near 
being  wrecked  —  an  account  of  which  I  suppose  you 
have  all  seen  in  the  newspapers. 

"  I  found  I  was  drifting  towards  the  land  quite  fast, 
and  this  kept  my  spirits  up,  though  I  was  very  cold. 
After  being  in  the  boat  about  four  hours,  as  near  as 
I  could  tell,  I  had  the  very  great  joy  of  stepping  on 
shore  once  mare.  And  wasn't  I  thankful  to  get  on 
dry  land  again  !  I  was  so  numb  and  stiff,  however, 
that  I  could  hardly  stand  on  my  feet ;  but  I  began  to 
move  round  as  well  as  I  could,  and,  as  the  glorious 
sun  now  came  out  bright,  I  soon  grew  warm,  and 
could  walk  as  well  as  ever. 

"  After  finding  a  good  safe  place  for  my  boat,  and 
thanking  God  for  my  safety,  I  began  to  look  about  to 
see  if  I  could  find  any  human  being,  for  I  didn't  know 
any  thing  of  where  I  was.  As  I  got  up  on  to  the 
higher  land,  I  came  to  a  field  of  corn  and  potatoes. 
I  thought,  of  course,  that  I  should  soon  see  a  house ; 


THE   CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  259 

but  I  was  much  disappointed,  for  I  found  that  I  was 
on  a  small  island,  of  about  ten  or  twelve  acres,  with 
no  house  on  it  —  the  owner  living  on  a  larger  island, 
probably,  which  was  four  or  five  miles  off,  where  I 
could  see  buildings.  I  felt  very  gloomy  at  first,  and 
almost  gave  way  to  despair;  but  when  I  looked  upon 
the  inviting  corn  and  potatoes,  —  for  by  this  time  I 
was  very  hungry,  —  I  thought  how  thankful  I  ought 
to  be  that  it  was  not  a  barren  island.  My  only  trouble 
now  was,  how  I  should  get  a  fire  to  cook  some  of  the 
vegetables  by. 

"I  ate  some  of  the  raw  corn  —  of  which  I  found 
plenty  of  scattering  ears  still  green  —  to  satisfy  my 
hunger  for  the  moment,  and  then  continued  my  walk 
to  the  southern  end  of  the  island,  where  I  came  to  a 
little  hut,  which  I  suppose  is  used  by  the  farmers  to 
live  in  when  they  are  on  the  island  at  work.  It  was 
made  mostly  of  bushes.  In  one  corner  there  was  a 
heap  of  clean  straw,  and  some  old  quilts,  which  had 
been  used  for  a  bed.  In  another  corner,  covered  up 
with  some  straw,  I  found  a  small  iron  kettle,  two  iron 
spoons,  two  knives  and  forks,  two  tin  cups,  and  a  little 
box  of  salt ;  and,  what  was  a  greater  prize  still,  in  my 
situation,  I  found  also  a  tin  box  full  of  matches.  A 
few  steps  from  the  cabin  there  was  a  rough  stone 
fireplace.     I  had  cpme  across  a  good  spring  of  water 


2 GO  FRED   FREELAXD,    OB 

close  by,  and,  as  there  was  plenty  of  wood  at  hand, 
I  got  some  of  the  potatoes  and  corn  cooked  about  the 
quickest.  I  had  nothing  but  a  little  salt  to  eat  with 
my  vegetables,  but  still  it  was  the  best  dinner  I  ever 
had  in  my  life. 

"  I  lived  on  the  island  day  after  day,  sleeping  very 
comfortably  in  the  hut  every  night,  and  hoping  that 
the  next  day  would  bring  ofF  some  of  the  folks  to  see 
to  their  crops.  But  still  nobody  came ;  and  as  I  heard 
no  voice  but  my  own,  I  got  almost  discouraged. 

"I  should  have  made  an  attempt  to  cross  over  to 
the  other  island,  but  my  boat  had  neither  rudder  nor 
oar.  I  had  the  good  luck,  however,  as  I  was  going 
along  the  shore  one  morning,  to  find  a  long  strip  of 
thick  board.  By  working  hard  all  that  day  with  my 
jackknife,  I  made  a  rough  sort  of  an  oar,  with  which 
I  thought  I  could  steer  the  boat  very  well. 

"  Early  the  next  morning,  after  having  been  on  the 
island  more  than  a  week,  I  laid  in  a  supply  of  boiled 
corn  and  potatoes,  filled  a  two-quart  jug,  which  I  had 
found  in  the  hut,  with  water  for  my  voyage,  and  then 
launched  my  boat.  The  wind  was  fair,  and  I  started 
with  every  prospect  of  making  a  safe  voyage. 

"  I  had  got  nearly  half  way  over  to  the  large  island, 
when  the  wind,  all  of  a  sudden,  came  directly  ahead, 
and  I  soon  saw  that  I  should  not  be  able  to  land,  but 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  261 

must  drift  out  to  sea,  as  I  could  not  even  reach  the 
small  island  again.  I  saw  a  number  of  vessels  during 
the  day,  as  I  drifted  broad  off,  but  they  were  not  near 
enough  to  notice  me.  Towards  night  the  wind  changed 
to  the  east,, and  I  felt  new  courage  again,  thinking  I 
should  be  able  to  land  somewhere  by  next  morning. 
There  was  quite  a  fresh  breeze  all  night.  I  made 
out,  however,  with  my  rough  oar,  to  keep  the  boat 
before  the  wind,  so  that  I  went  along  without  much 
trouble. 

"At  daybreak  I  found  that  the  water  was  much 
smoother,  and,  as  it  got  to  be  lighter,  I  could  see 
land  all  round.  In  a  few  minutes  I  saw  an  open 
boat,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off,  with  four  men 
in  it,  rowing  out  past  me.  I  hailed  them,  and  they 
at  once  rowed  up  to  me.  As  soon  as  I  told  them 
what  had  happened,  they  kindly  took  me  into  their 
boat,  and,  with  mine  in  tow,  started  for  home,  although 
they  had  come  out  for  a  day's  fishing.  They  said  we 
were  in  Casco  Bay,  and  that  they  lived  at  Portreef, 
about  five  miles  distant. 

"  In  one  hour  and  a  half  we  landed  at  Portreef,  and 
one  of  the  men  very  kindly  took  me  home  with  him 
to  breakfast.  I  then  recollected  that  Major  Kimball 
lived  in  Portreef,  and  I  told  the  man  I  would  like  to 
go  to  his  house.     He  at  once  hired  a  horse  and  wagon 


262  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

and  took  me  there.  The  folks  were  all  very  kind,  and 
Major  Kimball  gave  me  money  to  pay  my  fare  home. 
That  was  yestezxlay ;  and  I  was  to  start  alone  for  home 
this  morning.  But  when  Major  Kimball  received  his 
Boston  paper  last  evening,  we  were  both  very  much 
surprised  to  see  a  statement  in  it  that  our  friend  Fred 
here  was  to  be  tried  to-day  on  a  charge  of  stealing 
money  last  June  from  Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co.'s  store  — 
which  was  the  first  time  that  either  of  us  had  ever 
heard  any  thing  about  it.  Major  Kimball  said  at  once 
that  he  should  come  with  me  to  Boston.  So  we  took 
the  early  morning  train,  and  he  got  a  friend  at  the  first 
telegraph  station  to  send  a  message  on  to  Boston,  and 
have  the  trial  stopped  till  we  arrived.  I  never  felt  so 
uneasy  in  my  life  as  I  did  while  we  were  coming  up 
in  the  cars.  I  was  so  much  afraid  that  they  wouldn't 
put  the  trial  off  till  we  arrived,  that  it  seemed  to  me 
as  if  we  just  crept  along.  But  that  we  did  get  to 
Boston  in  season,  and  that  Major  Kimball's  evidence 
proved  that  Fred  was  wholly  innocent,  you  already 
know. 

"  There  is  one  thing  I  forgot  to  say  in  the  right 
place,  so  I'll  just  name  it  here.  "When  I  was  going 
to  take  leave  of  the  hut  on  the  island,  I  felt  as  if  it 
was  my  duty  to  give  some  account  of  myself,  so  that 
the  owner  of  the  place  —  in  case  I  shouldn't  reach  his 


THE   CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  263 

house  —  would  know  that  it  was  necessity  that  made 
me  make  so  free  with  his  property,  and  also  that  my 
friends  here  at  home  might  know  that  I  had  reached 
land  once,  even  if  I  should  get  drowned  in  my  second 
attempt.  The  best  I  could  do  was  to  take  a  small 
piece  of  smooth  board,  that  I  found  on  the  beach, 
and  write  a  few  words  on  it  as  well  as  I  could  with 
a  coal  from  the  fireplace.  I  then  wrote  my  name  and 
Rockmount  underneath. 

"Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  said  Bill,  making  quite  a 
polite  bow,  "  this  is  the  whole  of  my  story ;  and  I  guess 
I'm  not, much  of  a  'Robinson  Crusoe'  after  all." 


264  FRED   FREELAND,   OR 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

NEW   LIGHT. PLANS    DIVULGED. 

Bill  Brown's  simple  narrative,  which  had  been 
listened  to  with  a  good  deal  of  interest,  added  not  a 
little  to  the  evening's  entertainment.  It  was  past  nine 
o'clock  when  he  concluded,  and  the  friends  were  about 
to  partake  of  refreshments,  —  which  had  been  furnished 
most  bountifully  by  the  "managers,"  Roland  Parks  and 
Charles  Hay  ward,  —  when  Mr.  Freeland  was  informed 
that  a  gentleman  wished  to  speak  with  him  at  the  door. 
On  stepping  out,  he  was  much  gratified  to  meet  Captain 
Hoxie,  the  sea  captain  who  had  rendered  efficient  aid 
on  the  occasion  of  the  burning  of  the  steamer  in  Boston 
Harbor,  and  who,  at  that  time,  seemed  to  take  such 
interest  in  Foolish  John.  He  had  seen  Mr.  Freeland 
a  number  of  times  after  their  first  meeting,  and  from 
him  learned  many  of  the  particulars  of  John's  illness 
and  recovery,  as  well  as  the  remarkable  fact  of  his 
restoration  to  reason ;  but  his  business  had  made  so 
strong  a  demand  on  his  time,  that  the  present  hour 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  265 

was  the  first  lie  had  been  able  to  avail  himself  of  to 
make  arrangements  with  Mr.  Freeland  for  carrying 
out  a  plan  he  had  conceived  at  the  first  moment  of 
hearing  that  John's  intellect  was  restored. 

Immediately  after  Captain  Hoxie's  introduction  to 
the  company,  he  turned  to  Mr.  Freeland  and  said,  — 

"  I  am  aware,  sir,  of  the  happy  termination  of  your 
son's  trial,  and  congratulate  both  you  and  him  upon 
the  satisfactory  result ;  but  I  should  not  have  intruded 
thus  on  you  and  your  family  at  such  an  hour,  had  it 
not  been  that  I  expect  to  sail  to-morrow  morning  on 
a  long  voyage,  and  felt  that  I  must  see  you  with  regard 
to  John  Fox  before  I  left.  I  knew  nothing,  of  course, 
of  this  assembly  of  your  friends,  and  I  beg  you  will 
excuse  my  apparent  breach  of  politeness.  If,  however, 
you  can  appoint  an  early  hour  to-morrow  morning  for 
a  meeting,  I  will  then  make  known  to  you  my  plans 
concerning  the  young  man,  and  arrange  the  matter  with 
you,  even  should  I  be  compelled  to  defer  my  hour  of 
sailing." 

"I  beg  of  you,  Captain  Hoxie,"  said  Mr.  Freeland, 
in  reply,  "  to  make  no  apology  for  this  visit.  The 
nobleness  of  its  purpose  would  render  it  acceptable  at 
any  time.  I  can  assure  you,  sir,  that  you  are  far  from 
being  an  intruder.  As  to  this  little  friendly  gathering, 
it  was  as  unexpected  as  it  is  gratifying  to  me ;  and  as 
23 


266  FRED   FREELAND,    OR 

I  am  fully  persuaded  that  every  individual  present  is 
a  true  friend  to  the  young  man  whose  welfare  you 
have  so  much  at  heart,  I  think  I  shall  express  the 
views  of  the  entire  company  when  I  say  that  no  more 
gratifying  entertainment  could  be  afforded  them  this 
evening  than  to  listen  to  a  statement  of  your  intentions 
towards  him." 

Mr.  Freeland's  suggestion  met  with  a  very  favorable 
response  from  all  present;  and  Major  Kimball  stated 
to  the  company,  as  an  inducement  for  Captain  Hoxie 
to  commence,  that  he  also  had  a  plan  to  accomplish, 
which  might  interest  some  present,  and  that  he  would, 
if  agreeable,  after  the  captain  had  gratified  their  wishes, 
make  known  his  own  intentions. 

Thus  urged,  Captain  Hoxie  made  but  little  objection  ; 
and,  after  all  had  partaken  of  the  generous  collation, 
he  communicated  to  the  social  group  the  reason  of  his 
deep  interest  in  John  Fox,  and  his  present  purpose 
with  respect  to  him,  as  follows:  — 

"  Mr.  Freeland  undoubtedly  recollects  that  at  the 
close  of  his  short  biographical  sketch  of  Foolish  John, 
given  to  the  company  on  board  the  English  steamship 
recently,  my  sudden  illness  attracted  general  remark, 
and  that  I  then  attributed  it  to  a  fit  of  faintness." 

"  0,  yes,"  replied  Mr.  Freeland,  "  I  remember  the 
circumstance  perfectly  well." 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  267 

"  I  must  now  admit,  sir,"  continued  Captain  Hoxie, 
"  that  it  was  your  narration  of  facts  that  thus  affected 
me.  When  you  came  to  speak  of  the  terrific  thunder 
tempest  that  had  occurred  on  the  evening  of  Mr.  Fox's 
disappearance,  and  of  the  probability  that  his  boat  had 
been  run  down  by  some  vessel,  —  drowning  him,  and' 
inflicting  seriou3  injury  upon  his  son,  —  it  brought  to 
my  recollection  a  circumstance  which  I  had  scarcely 
given  a  thought  to  one  hour  after  its  occurrence,  and 
solemnly  impressed  my  mind,  for  the  first  time,  with 
the  full  and  overwhelming  force  of  all  its  unhappy 
consequences. 

"  I  was  bound  to  sea,  from  Boston,  rather  more  than 
four  years  since,  and  on  the  very  evening  which  you 
described.  I  commanded  the  same  ship  then,  as  now ; 
and  we  encountered  the  tempest  of  which  you  made 
mention.  It  was  a  fearful  hour ;  but,  as  the  wind  was 
nearly  fair,  I  thought  it  safest  to  get  to  sea,  if  possible 
—  having  been  under  sail  before  the  tempest  came  on. 
I  never  witnessed  a  more  violent  thunder  storm  ;  and 
when  it  was  at  its  greatest  height,  and  at  a  time  when 
all  our  exertions  were  required  for  the  safety  of  the 
ship,  an  old  sailor  suddenly  cried  out,  at  the  moment 
of  a  flash  of  lightning,  that  he  saw  a  fishing  boat  with 
two  persons  in  it  directly  Under  the  ship's  bow,  and 
insisted  that  he  heard  an  awful  scream  at  the  same 


268  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

instant.  As  there  were  five  or  six  of  his  shipmates 
near  him  at  the  time,  however,  none  of  whom  either 
saw  or  heard  any  thing  of  the  kind,  and  as  the  old 
sailor  was  notorious  for  his  superstition,  he  was  only 
laughed  at  for  his  assertion.  We  were  soon  out  to 
sea,  and  the  circumstance  was  forgotten. 

"  As  I  listened  to  your  statement  concerning  the 
fisherman  and  his  son,  Mr.  Freeland,  conviction  forced 
itself  upon  my  mind  that  it  was  my  ship  which  had 
run  their  hoat  down;  and  John's  own  account  of  the 
accident,  since  the  recovery  of  his  reason,  would  seem 
to  confirm  that  opinion. 

"I  felt  a  deep  interest  in  John  from  the  moment 
he  so  nobly  rescued  our  little  Jenny  here ;  and  after 
having  heard  his  history,  I  was  convinced  that  the 
hand  of  Providence  had  thus  guided  me  to  him,  that 
I  might  in  some  measure  make  reparation  for  that  sad 
accident,  the  responsibility  of  which  I  could  not  but 
feel  resting  upon  me,  notwithstanding  I  had  no  positive 
knowledge  of  it  at  the  time,  nor  no  control  over  the 
circumstances  which  caused  it. 

"  It  was  my  intention,  in  the  first  place,  to  see  what 
could  be  done,  through  medical  treatment,  for  John's 
intellect.  But,  thank  Heaven,  that  necessity  no  longer 
exists.  And  now,  Mr.  Freeland,  what  I  want  to  bring 
about  is  this :  I  wish  you  to  become  our  young  friend's 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  269 

guardian,  and  my  agent.  I  will  then  place  at  your 
disposal  funds  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  go  through 
college,  and  to  maintain  his  mother  comfortably  during 
the  period.  I  am,  as  you  are  perhaps  already  aware, 
a  bachelor.  I  have  no  near  relatives,  and  there  is  no 
one  dependent  upon  me  for  support.  Although  my 
fortune  is  far  from  being  large,  still  I  can  do  this 
without  the  slightest  inconvenience,  and  it  will  be  a 
source  of  much  gratification  to  me  to  expend  a  portion 
of  my  income  in  this  manner.  And,  sir,  if  you  will 
take  charge  of  this  business  for  me,  I  shall  rest  fully 
satisfied  that  it  will  be  attended  to  with  promptness 
and  faithfulness." 

"  Most  cheerfully  do  I  accept  this  trust,  Captain 
Hoxie,"  replied  Mr.  Freeland,  without  any  hesitation. 
"  And  I  shall  endeavor  so  to  manage  the  business  that 
your  praiseworthy  object  may  in  no  wise  suffer  through 
any  negligence  of  mine." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  the  captain.  "  If  agreeable, 
I  will  be  at  your  counting  room  to-morrow  morning, 
at  nine  o'clock,  to  make  all  final  arrangements." 

"  I  shall  be  wholly  at  your  service  at  that  hour,  my 
friend,"  was  Mr.  Freeland's  reply. 

"A  most  noble  and  generous  offer,  and  promptly 
responded  to,"  said  Major  Kimball,  as  he  grasped  a 
hand  of  each  of  the  two  gentlemen.  "  Who  dares  say 
23* 


FKED    FREELAXD,    OR 

there  is  no  good  in  this  fair  world  of  ours  ?  If  any 
one  has  such  an  idea,  it's  all  imagination." 

"  True,  true,"  responded  Squire  Hay  ward,  who,  with 
his  family,  helped  make  up  the  social  gathering;  "there 
is  a  large  sphere  for  doing  good  upon  this  earth,  and 
no  lack  of  opportunity,  if  we  would  but  realize  the  one 
and  embrace  the  other.  I  trust  we  may  all  profit  by 
the  example  set  us  this  evening." 

"  Now,  Major  Kimball,  we  are  prepared  to  listen  to 
the  promised  statement  of  your  project,"  said  Captain 
Hoxie,  anxious  to  divert  attention  from  himself. 

"  O,  yes,"  chimed  in  several  voices  at  once ;  "  we  are 
all  curious  to  hear  what  it  is." 

"  Very  well,"  responded  the  major.  *  I  will  not  keep 
the  aompany  waiting ;  and  as  all  the  parties  interested 
are  present,  perhaps  the  business  can  be  settled  at  once, 
and  on  the  spot.  It  has  been  my  intention,  for  some 
time  past,  to  engage  a  smart  housekeeper  for  my  own 
house,  as  my  good  wife  begins  to  need  a  little  help. 
I  am  satisfied,  from  inquiry,  that  Mrs.  Brown,  here, 
is  just  the  person  that  she  wants.  And  as  for  myself, 
I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  have  Bill  to  assist  me 
about  my  little  farm  and  garden.  He  shall  have  a 
good  opportunity  to  attend  school  for  a  year  or  two, 
and  then,  if  he  feels  inclined,  he  can  learn  a  trade. 
What  think  you,  friends,  of  the  proposition?" 


THE   CHAIN    OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  271 

"A  most  excellent  opportunity,"  said  one. 

"Just  the  best  thing  they  can  do,"  added  another. 

"It  will  be  the  making  of  Bill,"  joined  in  a  third. 

"And  what  says  Mrs.  Brown  herself?"  inquired 
Mr.  Freeland,  with  an  approving  smile. 

"I  shall  be  most  happy  to  accept  the  offer,"  she 
replied,  "if  the  gentleman  himself  and  other  friends 
present  think  I  can  fill  the  situation  satisfactorily." 

"And  I  shall  be  glad  enough,"  said  Bill,  without 
waiting  to  be  questioned,  "  to  see  mother  have  a  good 
comfortable  home,  and  be  able  myself  to  earn  an  honest 
living." 

"Very  well,"  said  Major  Kimball.  "Then  we  will 
consider  the  matter  as  all  settled.  You  can  inform 
me  by  letter,  Mrs.  Brown,  when  you  are  prepared 
to  start,  and  I  will  then  see  that  you  have  the  best 
mode  of  conveyance." 


272  FEED    FREELAND,    OR 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

THE   RIGHT  FEELING. —  MAJOR   KIMBALL'S   ADVICE. 

The  company  seemed  to  be  highly  gratified  at  the 
unexpected  provision  in  prospect  for  the  two  widows 
and  their  sons,  and  the  "  surprise  party,"  as  Jenny  had 
named  it  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  evening,  had  proved 
an  occasion  for  developing  one  of  the  first  and  greatest 
duties  of  humanity  —  "  Help  one  another." 

"Truly,  this  is  a  social  gathering  of  no  ordinary 
interest,"  remarked  Mr.  Freeland,  as  he  observed  the 
pleasurable  satisfaction  that,  glowed  upon  each  and 
every  countenance  in  the  room. 

"It  is  indeed,"  said  Squire  Hayward;  "and  I  trust 
its  happy  influence  upon  the  many  will  be  as  lasting 
as  its  more  immediate  benefit  must  be  grateful  to  the 
few." 

"  Halloo,  there,  you  little  lump  of  good  nature  !  I 
say,  Roland!  Laughing  Rol!  come  up  here,  and  give 
an  account  of  yourself!  Is  it  true  that  we  are  indebted 
to  you  for  bringing  together  this  happy  company?" 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  273 

Thus  called  Major  Kimball  to  that  frolicsome  youth, 
who,  leaving  a  group  of  youngsters  that  he  was  making 
merry  at  the  other  end  of  the  parlor,  with  sham  gravity 
marched  leisurely  up  to  the  major,  as  if  in  expectation 
of  a  sharp  reprimand,  and  said,  — 

"  I  cannot  deny,  sir,  that  I  assisted  in  getting  up  this 
'demonstration;'  but  please  forgive  us.  We  thought 
that  our  friend  Fred,  here,  might  be  glad  to  see  his 
old  schoolfellows,  after  so  long  a  separation,  and  that 
we  would  carry  out  the  principle  of  *  the  more  the 
merrier'  by  coming  in  a  crowd.  Besides,  sir,  we 
understood  that  you  were  spending  the  evening  here; 
and  as  you  surprised  us  Rockmount  boys  on  a  former 
occasion,  and  gave  us  some  good  advice,  we  thought 
it  might  be  gratifying  to  you  to  have  an  opportunity 
of  judging  how  far  we  have  profited  by  your  counsel." 

"And  I  am  gratified,  you  little  rogue,"  replied  the 
major.  "  I  feel  much  obliged  to  you  for  this  evening's 
enjoyment  —  never  spent  a  happier  hour  —  if  any  body 
says  I  did,  why,  it's  all  imagination." 

"I  am  right  glad  you  have  been  pleased,"  rejoined 
Roland. 

"  Have  you  had  any  occasion  for  a  fight,  boys,  since 
we  met  before?"  inquired  Major  Kimball. 

"  No,  sir,"  promptly  replied  Charles  Hayward  ;  "  and 
I  am  sorry  to  have  to  acknowledge  that  I  was  the 

R 


274  FEED   FREELAXD,    OE 

leader  in  that  disgraceful  affair  which  you  witnessed. 
But  the  noble  conduct  of  Fred,  the  good  nature  of 
Laughing  Rol,  the  wholesome  advice  of  yourself,  sir, 
and  the  change  in  Bill,  for  the  better,  directly  after,  not 
only  made  me  thoroughly  ashamed  of  the  part  I  took 
on  that  occasion,  but  have,  I  trust,  made  an  impression 
on  my  mind  that  I  shall  not  soon  forget.  And  I  now 
frankly  ask  Bill's  pardon  for  the  way  I  treated  him 
at  that  time." 

"  0,  no,  Charley  —  do  not  ask  my  pardon,"  said  Bill. 
"I  ought  to  ask  yours,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  boys', 
for  things  I  done  a  great  many  times  afore  that  I 
thought  you  wa3  all  agin  me  then ;  but,  thanks  to 
Fred  and  Jenny,  I  don't  think  so  now.  It  was  the 
kindness  of  Fred  that  day  on  the  Green  that  first 
made  me  think  I  could  be  somethin'  besides  '  Fightin' 
Bill ; '  and  it  was  Jenny  that  first  told  me  that  my 
worst  enemy  was  my  own  wicked  thoughts.  I  know 
we  could  git  along  now,  boys,  without  fightin' ;  but  as 
I'm  goin'  away  agin  right  off,  I  can't  prove  to  you 
what  I  say;  and  that's  the  only  thing  that  makes 
me  feel  sorry  about  goin'." 

"Never  mind,  Bill,"  said  Fred,  soothingly.  "I  am 
certain  that  all  are  friendly  to  you  now,  and  that  they 
believe  what  you  say  —  is  it  not  so,  boys?" 

"Yes  —  yes,"  answered  a  dozen  voices  at  once. 


THE   CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  275 

"  Come,  '  Little  Stubby,' "  said  Roland  Parks,  as  he 
seized  John  Steele  by  the  arm,  and  led  him  up  to  Bill 
Brown,  "  I  believe  you  have  a  standing  threat  against 
Bill.  Now,  I  want  to  hear  what  you  have  got  to  say 
about  it." 

"  Well,"  replied  John,  as  he  was  thus  brought  face 
to  face  with  his  inveterate  foe,  "  what  I  have  got  to 
say  is  this :  I  threatened,  three  or  four  months  ago, 
to  flog  Bill  as  soon  as  I  got  to  be  big  enough.  But 
I  guess  I'm  not  quite  able  to  do  that  yet.  I  think, 
though,  I'm  big  enough  to  be  your  friend,  Bill  —  and 
here's  my  hand,  to  seal  the  bargain." 

"And  a  better  friend  I  wouldn't  ask  for  than  I'm 
sure  to  find  in  you,  ,Johnny,"  responded  Bill,  as  he 
cordially  grasped  the  hand  proffered  for  the  first  time 
in  friendship. 

"  Hurrah ! "  shouted  Roland,  in  a  suppressed  tone. 
"  Bill,  you  are  out  of  danger  now,  for  <  Little  Stubby ' 
isn't  going  to  flog  you  !     Hurrah ! " 

"My  little  fellow,"  said  Major  Kimball,  stepping 
forward,  and  taking  John  Steele  by  the  hand,  "the 
words  you  have  just  spoken  do  you  much  credit  — 
heart  is  in  the  right  place  —  will  be  much  happier 
now  than  when  you  felt  like  flogging  Bill  —  this  idea 
of  enmity  between  boys  is  all  imagination." 

"I  believe  I  do  feel  happier  at  this  moment  than 


276  FRED    FREELAND,   OR 

I  ever  did  before,"  said  John.  "I  am  glad  to  be  on 
good  terms  with  Bill,  for  I  always  rather  liked  him, 
—  although  we  did  quarrel  pretty  often,  —  because  he 
is  so  brave." 

At  this  moment  Jenny  approached  Bill  Brown,  and 
placed  in  his  hand  the  same  little  book  which  she  had 
given  him  on  a  former  occasion,  simply  remarking,  as 
she  did  so, — 

"Here,  "William,  this  is  your  property.  I  suppose 
you  will  take  charge  of  it  now,  if  you  are  going  to 
live  with  Major  Kimball." 

"  O,  yes ;  and  I  thank  you,  Jenny,  for  keepin'  it  so 
safe.  It's  worth  its  weight  in  gold  to  me  ; "  and  Bill 
opened  the  book  at  its  beginning.  The  blank  leaf  on 
which  he  had  written  at  sea  had  been  neatly  removed ; 
and  the  telltale  smile  on  Jenny's  face,  as  she  turned 
and  walked  away,  indicated  plainly  enough  the  little 
fingers  that  had  been  engaged  in  the  work.  However, 
judging  by  the  happy  expression  of  Bill's  countenance, 
the  book  was  no  less  valuable  to  him  on  account  of 
the  absence  of  that  leaf.  Perhaps  she  had  taken  it 
as  a  keepsake. 

The  evening  was  far  advanced,  and  there  seemed 
to  be  a  general  movement  as  if  for  departure.  The 
noble-hearted  sailor,  Captain  Hoxie,  had  been  highly 
pleased  with   the  frank,   sound,  and   generous   Major 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  277 

Kimball ;  and  as  he  took  the  worthy  old  gentleman 
affectionately  by  the  hand,  to  bid  him  good  night,  he 
said,  — 

"My  venerable  friend,  I  am  about  to  sail  on  a  long 
voyage;  and  as  I  may  never  have  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  you  again,  I  trust  you  will  excuse  a  sailor's 
bluntness  in  me,  if  I  ask  by  what  means  you  have 
retained  so  perfect  a  state  of  health,  and  such  quietude 
of  mind,  till  your  advanced  age.  It  is  no  idle  curiosity, 
my  dear  sir,  that  prompts  me  to  ask  this  information, 
but  a  sincere  wish  to  profit  by  your  judgment  and 
experience." 

"  O,  there  is  no  great  secret  about  it,"  replied  the 
major,  without  the  slightest  hesitation.  "In  the  first 
place,  we  must  be  temperate  in  all  things :  without 
this,  there  can  be  no  perfect  state  of  health.  Next, 
if  we  expect  happiness,  we  must  endeavor  to  do  our 
whole  duty,  relying  upon  the  unchangeable  justness 
of  God  for  results.  "We  should  look  for  good  in  every 
thing,  though  there  may  be  apparently  much  evil.  We 
must  be  thankful  for  the  many  blessings  we  receive, 
and  share  them  ungrudgingly  with  our  less  fortunate 
fellow-creatures.  We  should  strive  to  be  content,  and 
cheerfulness  will  follow.  There  is,  to  my  mind,  a 
most  excellent  sermon  contained  in  the  following  lines 
by  Thomas  Hood:  — 
24 


278  FRED    FREELAXD,    OR 

'I  like  my  friends,  my  children,  wife  — 
,  The  home  they  make  so  blessed  a  spot; 

I  like  my  fortune  —  calling  —  life  — 

In  every  thing  I  like  my  lot; 
And  feeling  thus,  my  heart's  imbued 
With  never-ceasing  gratitude.' 

In  a  word,  we  must  never  say,  never  think,  '  I  have 
accomplished  enough  for  one  lifetime,  and  now  I  will 
prepare  for  death,'  but  continue  to  perform  acts  of 
duty  and  usefulness  as  if  we  expected  to  exist  here 
forever,  and  at  the  same  time  live  as  if  we  knew  we 
were  to  die  to-morrow." 

""Wholesome  counsel,  truly,"  said  Captain  Hoxie. 
"  I  feel  exceedingly  grateful  for  it,  and  shall  strive 
to  profit  thereby." 

"Now,  boys,"  said  the  major,  as  he  turned  to  the 
younger  portion  of  the  company,  "  I  wish  to  say  a 
few  words  to  you  before  we  separate.  In  a  few  years 
you  will  fill  the  places  now  occupied  by  your  fathers ; 
and  some  of  you,  not  unlikely,  may  be  called  upon  to 
assist  in  the  administration  of  the  affairs  of  your  state 
or  the  nation.  But,  wherever  your  lots  may  be  cast,  I 
hope  you  will  never  lose  sight  of  the  noble  example 
set  by  Fred  Freeland, — that  kindness  is  the  true  means 
for  conquering  an  enemy, —  nor  forget  the  good  results 
traceable  to  his  conduct  on  Rockmount  Green. 


THE    CHAIN    OF   CIRCyMSTANCES.  '     279 

"  Adhere  strictly  to  the  truth ;  be  kind,  firm,  and 
just,  and  you  will  overcome  all  obstacles.  As  you  wish 
for  a  contented  and  happy  life,  be  more  willing  to  give 
than  to  receive.  Keep  a  clear  conscience.  Swerve 
not  in  your  known  path  of  duty,  but  as  apparent  evils 
rise  up  before  you,  with  threatening  aspect,  meet  them 
unflinchingly,  while  you  peer  through  and  beyond  them 
for  the  positive  good  that  is  sure  to  follow  —  for  a  wise 
and  beneficent  Providence  overrules  all." 


FRED    FREELAND,   OR 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

CONCLUSION. 

A  few  additional  words  seem  necessary  before  the 
characters,  incidents,  and  sentiments  of  this  little  book 
are  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  reader. 

The  provision  made  for  the  education  of  John  Fox, 
and  the  support  of  his  mother,  by  Captain  Hoxie,  was 
sufficiently  ample  to  do  much  credit  to  that  gentleman's 
generosity;  and  his  praiseworthy  designs  were  carried 
out  in  a  most  faithful  and  judicious  manner  by  Mr. 
Freeland,  who  was  happy  in  having  this  opportunity 
to  benefit  one,  whom,  under  Heaven,  he  felt  indebted 
to  for  his  daughter's  life. 

Words  could  scarcely  portray  the  mingled  surprise 
and  happiness  of  both  John  and  his  mother  when  the 
intelligence  of  their  good  fortune  was  communicated 
to  them  by  Mr.  Freeland.  The  early,  but  long-since 
abandoned,  hopes  of  mother  and  son  were  about  to 
be  realized,  and  a  deep  sense  of  gratitude  filled  their 
hearts. 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  281 

"With  John's  returning  health  and  reason  came  again 
all  his  early  school-boy  acquirements,  and  with  as  much 
clearness  and  freshness  as  though  the  repose  of  a  single 
night  only  had  intervened.  The  school  committee,  in 
connection  with  the  principal  of  the  Rockmount  High 
School,  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Freeland,  made  a  private 
examination  into  John's  qualifications,  at  which  he  was 
pronounced  to  be  well  prepared  to  enter  an  academy. 
Accordingly,  at  the  expiration  of  ten  days  from  the 
time  of  his  first  going  out,  after  having  recovered  from 
his  late  illness,  he  made  application  and  was  admitted 
to  one  of  the  most  noted  institutions  of  the  kind  in 
New  England.  He  remained  at  this  academy  for  the 
space  of  one  year,  and  then  entered  college. 

About  the  time  that  John  Fox  left  his  native  village 
for  the  academy,  Mrs.  Brown  removed  to  Portreef,  and 
assumed  the  duties  of  her  new  situation.  Her  son  had 
preceded  her  some  ten  days,  in  company  with  Major 
Kimball,  who  returned  home  on  the  day  immediately 
following  that  of  Fred  Freeland's  trial.  On  their  way, 
the  major  and  Bill  stopped  at  Hooksink,  as  the  latter 
wished  very  much  to  see  his  old  shipmates  of  the  Sea 
Gull,  not  only  on  account  of  friendship,  but  for  the 
purpose  of  returning  the  twenty-five  dollars  that  had 
been  so  generously  presented  by  them  to  his  mother. 
Bill  thought  it  would  not  be  right  to  retain  the  money, 
24* 


282  FEED    FKEELA>TD,    OR 

as  it  had  been  given  under  the  full  belief  that  he  was 
drowned.  He  also  desired  to  inform  Captain  Bruce 
of  the  safety  of  his  boat,  and  ascertain  in  what  manner 
he  should  forward  it  to  him. 

The  honest  fishermen  were  truly  rejoiced  to  meet 
their  young  shipmate  again.  They  were  almost  as 
much  astonished  as  if  one  had  risen  from  the  grave, 
for  the  very  slight  hope  entertained  by  them  at  the 
time  of  the  accident  had  wholly  died  away,  and  they 
had  not  the  slightest  idea  that  Bill  was  living.  When 
he  came  to  speak  of  returning  the  money,  they  all,  to 
a  man,  positively  declined  its  acceptance.  He  was 
richly  entitled  to  it,  they  said,  for  his  manly  conduct 
on  the  night  he  was  lost  overboard.  So  Bill  continued 
on  his  journey  more  fully  impressed  than  ever  with 
the  truth,  that  one  has  only  to  turn  his  attention  to 
himself,  conquer  his  own  wicked  thoughts,  and  strive 
to  perform  his  duty,  in  order  to  find  himself  surrounded 
by  warm  friends,  and  to  be  capable  of  appreciating  the 
numerous  blessings  scattered  throughout  life's  domain 
by  the  all-bountiful  Creator. 

Major  Kimball  was  very  much  gratified  at  hearing 
Bill  express  his  honorable  views  concerning  the  money, 
and  consequently  looked  upon  him  with  growing  favor, 
saying  to  himself  more  than  once,  as  the  cars  sped  on 
towards  Portreef,  "  J£  any  body  thinks  that  Bill  Brown 


THE   CHAIN   OF   CIRCUMSTANCES.  283 

won't  make  a  decidedly  smart  and  honest  man,  it's  all 
imagination." 

As  days,  weeks,  and  months  passed  rapidly  away, 
our  good  Rockmount  friends,  whom  we  have  seen  of 
late  taking  no  little  interest  in  the  welfare  of  Bill 
Brown  and  John  Fox,  often  spoke  of  these  absentees 
in  words  of  sincere  friendship ;  but  the  consideration 
that  the  arrangements  had  been  made  with  a  view  to 
the  individual  benefit  of  the  absent  parties  themselves, 
counterbalanced  the  loss  of  their  society,  and  prevented 
any  feeling  of  dissatisfaction  or  regret. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  none  of  our  readers,  more 
especially  among  the  younger  portion  of  them,  have 
entertained  the  idea  that  this  imperfect  little  "chain" 
is  to  be  completed  by  linking  together  in  the_  bonds 
of  matrimony,  after  the  fashion  of  no\el  writers,  some 
of  the  characters  with  whom  they  have  been  made 
acquainted.  If  any  such  event  has  been  anticipated, 
disappointment  must  inevitably  follow;  for  our  chief 
characters  being  scarcely  more  than  children,  and  the 
seasons  having  made  but  a  few  revolutions  since  the 
principal  incidents  of  the  story  transpired,  it  would  be 
*  hurrying  up  matters "  a  little  too  much,  we  think,  to 
require  such  a  disposal  to  be  made,  at  present,  of  any 
of  our  young  friends.     But  there  is  no  saying  what 


284  FRED    FREELAND,    OR 

changes  time  may  bring  about;  for  Major  Kimball, 
smart  and  cheerful  as  ever,  still  continues  to  assert 
that  his  granddaughter  will  "  make  a  nice  little  wife 
for  somebody  one  of  these  days ; "  and  Fred  Freeland, 
who  has  recently  returned  from  a  short  visit  to  his 
friends  at  Portreef,  is  playfully  accused  by  Jenny  of 
having  in  his  possession  a  daguerreotype  likeness  of 
a  very  pretty  little  girl.  Fred,  however,  laughs  and 
blushes,  while  he  insists  that  "it's  all  imagination." 

We  would  just  intimate  to  our  friend  Fred,  in  this 
connection,  that,  if  he  has  the  remotest  idea  of  "  setting 
up  a  claim"  to  the  original,  he  must  keep  a  bright 
lookout;  for  Bill  Brown — who  has  improved  vastly  in 
goodness  of  heart,  education,  and  personal  appearance 
—  is  deservedly  much  of  a  favorite  with  the  worthy 
old  major  and  his  family,  not  excepting  the  "  nice 
little  wife  for  somebody"  herself.  But  the  friendship 
of  the  two  boys,  we  have  not  the  slightest  doubt,  is 
too  sincere  to  admit  of  ever  being  disturbed  by  any 
foolish  strife  between  them  for  the  honor  of  being 
considered  the  *  somebody  "  humorously  referred  to  by 
Major  Kimball. 

We  must  not  neglect  to  say,  in  this  place,  that  Mrs. 
Brown  proves  to  be  an  excellent  housekeeper,  and  that- 
the  arrangement  has  been  one  of  mutual  satisfaction. 
Indeed,  so  indispensable  do  her  services  and  those  of 


THE   CHAIN   OP   CIRCUMSTANCES.  285 

Bill  now  appear  to  be  to  the  major  and  his  wife,  that 
it  has  become  a  wonderment  with  them  how  they  ever 
managed  to  get  along  without  them. 

Fred  Freeland  left  the  Rockmount  High  School  at 
the  expiration  of  one  year  from  the  time  of  his  trial, 
having  become  a  thorough  scholar  in  the  principal 
branches  of  education  there  taught ;  and  being  left 
perfectly  free  to  choose  between  a  professional  and  a 
mercantile  life,  he  showed  his  preference  for  the  latter 
by  going. into  his  father's  counting  room,  where,  with 
his  natural  tact  for  business,  and  his  strict  ideas  of 
honor  and  integrity,  he  will  undoubtedly  strive  on 
and  upward  until  he  reaches  a  high  position  among 
Boston's  honored  merchants. 

Jenny  remains  at  school,  and  is  at  the  head  of  her 
class.  She  continues  to  be  a  great  favorite  with  both 
teacher  and  scholars.  At  home  there  is  no  diminution 
in  the  interchange  of  that  sincere  and  pure  affection 
between  herself  and  brother  which  characterized  them 
at  an  earlier  date  —  that  mutual  charm  of  preservation 
from  the  many  temptations  which  beset  the  paths  of 
those  youth,  of  either  sex,  who  thoughtlessly  sever  this 
guardian  bond,  and  ever  seek  after  companions  and 
amusements  away  from  home.  Fred,  as  may  readily 
be  supposed,  is  completely  cured  of  that  meddlesome 
propensity  which  at  one  time  caused  much  anxiety  to 


286  FKED    FKEELAND,    OR 

his  father,  as  well  as  trouble  to  himself;  and  Jenny  has 
not  been  known  to  indulge  in  tone  of  her  paroxysms 
of  passion  since  the  day  of  Fred's  trial.  Hence  the 
residence  of  the  Freehands  well  deserves  to  be  styled 
a  happy  home. 

The  remainder  of  our  young  Rockmount  friends,  one 
and  all,  seem  to  have  well  remembered  the  example 
furnished  them  by  Fred;  for  nought  but  good  feeling 
and  pleasant  words  now  pervade  their  gatherings,  and 
such  a  thing  as  a  quarrel  between  any  of  them  is 
considered  next  to  impossible.  Even  "Little  Stubby" 
could  now  scarcely  be  made  to  fight  —  unless,  indeed, 
it  were  in  defence  of  the  character  of  Bill  Brown,  his 
former  greatest  enemy. 

Captain  Hoxie  is  yet  absent  in  foreign  parts;  but 
he  keeps  up  a  correspondence  with  Mr.  Freeland,  and 
expresses  much  gratification  at  the  favorable  report  he 
receives  from  that  gentleman  of  the  rapid  proficiency 
that  John  Fox  is  making  in  his  studies. 

One  other  character  claims  a  moment's  attention. 
Peter  Gammon  continues  in  the  employ  of  Messrs. 
Cutt,  Slash,  &  Co.,  and  is  considered  by  them  one  of 
the  most  trustworthy  and  competent  salesmen  in  their 
establishment.  He  has  more  than  once  expressed  his 
deep  sense  of  gratitude  to  Fred  Freeland  for  his  truly 
generous  intercession  in  his  behalf  at  the  close  of  the 


THE    CHAIN    OF    CIRCUMSTANCES.  287 

trial.  To  the  forgiving  spirit  of  that  kind-hearted  hoy 
he  has  ever  attributed  the  Avillingness  of  the  firm  to 
retain  him  in  his  situation  after  the  confession  of  his 
dishonest  act  —  an  act  that  had  threatened,  at  one  time, 
to  blast  the  bright  and  spotless  reputation  of  Fred, 
who,  notwithstanding,  took  advantage  of  an  immediate 
opportunity  to  fulfil  that  priceless  precept  of  the  New 
Testament  —  Return  good  for  evil. 


If  the  reader  who  happens  to  be  familiar  with  Boston 
and  its  suburbs  should  recognize  neither  the  name  nor 
locality  of  "  Rockmount,"  he  -will  do  well  to  bear  in 
mind  that  the  names  of  places,  like  all  else  terrestrial, 
are  subject  to  change ;  or,  if  the  conception  suit  him 
better,  that  in  this  great  and  growing  country  of  ours 
whole  villages  and  cities  spring  into  existence  almost 
in  a  single  day — especially  on  paper.  If  any  thing 
further  be  desirable  on  this  point,  we  beg  leave  to 
refer  the  inquirer  to  our  respected  old  friend  Major 
Kimball,  who  will  undoubtedly  settle  the  question,  in 
his  usual  summary  manner,  by  asserting  that  "it's  all 
imagination." 

In  taking  leave  of  our  young  readers  we  think  we 
can  do  no  better  than  to  repeat  a  few  words  from  the 
advice  of  the  above-named  old  gentleman  to  the  boys 


288  FRED    FHEELAND. 

assembled  at  Mr.  Freeland's  on  the  occasion  of  the 
surprise  party :  "  Adhere  strictly  to  the  truth  ;  be  kind, 
firm,  and  just,  and  you  will  overcome  all  obstacles." 
Yes ;  and  you  will  thus  establish  for  yourselves  a 
reputation ;  not  merely  a  superficial  garb,  that  may  be 
laid  on  and  off  to  suit  occasions,  but  a  pure,  sound, 
abiding  character,  such  as  will  sustain  you  at  all  times, 
and  under  all  circumstances  —  whether  in  the  noonday 
gaze  of  your  fellow-beings,  or  in  silent  communion  with 
your  own  thoughts  and  with  your  God. 


25887 


Social  Sciences  &  Humanities  Library 

S°CI    University  of  California,  San  D.egc. 
P,ease  Note:  This  item  is  subject  to  recall. 

Date  Due 


UCSD  Lib. 


CI  39  (5/97) 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  I 


A     000  677  879     9 


